Grey Reef Shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
Also known as: Gray Reef Shark, Blacktail Reef Shark, Shortnose Blacktail
About This Species
A reef-associated shark of the tropical Indo-Pacific, typically patrolling steep outer reef slopes, drop-offs, and channels, where it often forms loose daytime resting groups before becoming more actively hunting at night. Divers commonly encounter it around reef passes and current-swept channels, with numbers and activity often linked to tidal flow bringing prey past the reef edge. Outer reef dive sites in areas such as French Polynesia, the Red Sea, and parts of the Indo-Pacific are reliable places to see resting or patrolling groups.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This species is IUCN-listed as Endangered, so extra caution applies: keep several metres of distance, never touch or attempt to feed it, and avoid sudden movements or cornering it against the reef, since a hunched, exaggerated swimming posture is a warning display that precedes defensive behaviour if it feels threatened.
- Many reef areas within its range fall under marine protected areas or shark sanctuaries that prohibit fishing, baiting, or feeding of sharks, though the specific rules and penalties differ by country, so always follow the local dive operator's or marine park's protocols rather than assuming one region's rules apply everywhere.
Seasonal Activity
216,297 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Carcharhinidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.