Silvertip Shark

The silvertip shark is a robust grey requiem shark, immediately recognisable by the conspicuous white edges and tips on all its fins. It is heavily built with a broad snout and can grow to around three metres, making it one of the more impressive sharks encountered on the deeper reefs.

Along the KwaZulu-Natal coast it favours offshore reefs, drop-offs and current-swept banks, where it is a confident, sometimes bold predator of reef fish and rays. Divers should treat close encounters with respect and avoid spearfishing near them, as speared fish will draw their attention. Like many large sharks it is slow-growing and has declined under fishing pressure across its range.