The Black Tip Reef Shark

The black tip reef shark is easily recognisable because of the black tip on it's pectoral (side) fins and dorsal fin. The black tip is very common and is often seen by divers and waders in India, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia and America. Although it is not usually aggressive, this shark is known to attack waders or divers that approach it too quickly. It is also known to bite peoples feet when they lie on rubber rings, inflatable chairs and other items such as these. Black tips are some of the most curious creatures on the planet, they are often to be found lying still in crevices as they don't need to swim to survive, all they have to do is pump sea-water over their gills.
Although they are more active at night, when they come out of their crevices to hunt anchovies, sardines and other large groups of schooling fish, they are often seen during the day gliding peacefully along through the gaps between tall rocks that the fish use as swimming roads or visiting cleaning stations to be relieved of their parasites. Black tips survive well in captivity and you can often see them in aquariums.
  Black tips are excellent hunters, they often form a group and chase fish onto beaches. They wriggle up the beaches and eat them. (Talk about fish out of water!!)

A playful black tip reef shark, curious of the diver and his camera.

An adult black tip, in honour of my Uncle Seamus who requested  black tips to be the next shark on the blog.