Sharks of the Maldives: A Complete Guide to Species and Locations

The Maldives are one of the most popular holiday destinations among domestic tourists. Magnificent blue lagoons, pebble and sand beaches with palm trees, as if from posters, constantly warm sunny weather, the same comfortable water. A real paradise. But such an environment attracts not only tourists, but creates a very rich fauna, especially underwater. And one of the greatest riches here is the diversity of shark species. Sharks in the Maldives are protected, and ecotourism and those who want to dive with them bring great profits to the state. But regardless of whether you plan to meet him or not, on the Maldives or not, you always have a good chance of meeting a shark. And in such a case, it is very useful and important to know who is in front of you. And it is very important and useful to know about the local fauna in advance before arriving. There are both potentially dangerous species of sharks, with which even experienced ichthyologists and divers have a hard time, and harmless creatures that can literally make you fall in love and destroy a bunch of myths and stereotypes about these creatures. But you need to be able to distinguish them from each other. This is why this article was written.

Our team presents you with a short guide to the main species of sharks that live in this country. It is based on both our experience and animals described in scientific reference books of local waters. A little general information will be given about each type of shark, which can be useful and interesting for both professional divers and ordinary people who just came to the beach to swim or snorkel.

Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) tiger shark

Let's start with it, since they are the ones we mostly work with on our island. This is the largest potentially dangerous shark in the Maldives. These predators can grow up to 5.5 m and weigh more than a ton. But in the Maldives, individuals larger than 4.5 m are rarely found. The tiger shark is easy to recognize by its characteristic stripes, from which it got its name, as well as by the round, almost square shape of its head. These predators hunt almost all types of marine animals in the ocean, but their diet is mainly made up of bony fish, sea turtles, birds and mammals. This is a semipelagic species of sharks, meaning it can swim both at great depths and in shallow water.

This is a truly serious predator that should be treated with respect and dived only in the presence of experienced professionals who know the habits of sharks. Tiger sharks are not as common in the Maldives as other sharks and are found regularly in North Male Atoll, Addu and Fuvahmulah. Elsewhere, encounters are more a matter of luck than a constant probability.

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) whale shark

The largest fish and shark in the world! These giants can grow up to 18 m, but most animals are found in the area of ​​9-12 m. Adults are considered animals from 8-9 m. Even so, this is a real colossus, meeting with which for many is the goal of a trip to the Maldives. All types of meetings with whale sharks are possible: snorkeling, freediving and scuba diving.

Whale sharks are not dangerous, since they feed on plankton, but you can inadvertently get hit by a tail if you swim too close to the animal. It is impossible not to mention the cases when many tourists try to ride and touch the animals, which is actually prohibited on the island. And this can have a detrimental effect on the animals, they can get scared, swim away or even hit with their tail. Not to mention the stress for them, plus very often groups of snorkelers up to 50 people swim after whale sharks, and imagine what it would be like if everyone reached out their hand and at the same time constantly chased the animal. Whale sharks are recognized as an endangered species (EN) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and their population is steadily declining. Remember this, and follow the principles of ecotourism and ethical treatment of animals!

Whale sharks can be found everywhere in the Maldives, but there are certain atolls where the chances of meeting them are much higher. Many young individuals can be found on Baa Atoll, Harifaru Beach, South Ari Atoll, as well as Huvadhoo Atoll and Thaa Atoll, and of course our island Fuvahmulah.

Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) Nurseshark

One of the most common sharks in the region. These are large bottom sharks, growing up to 4.5 m in length. Despite their large size, these sharks are one of the Maldives' calling cards for tourists. They are very calm, patient, and quickly get used to people without showing direct aggression. In case of danger, they often try to simply swim away. These sharks prefer to hunt and live near sandbanks, as well as in grottoes and on coral reefs. During the day, they mostly just lie on the bottom, and at night they hunt small fish, mollusks, crabs and other invertebrates. These fish do not need to constantly swim to breathe, thanks to the organs behind their eyes, called spiracles.

These sharks are found throughout the Maldives, and can gather in large groups in tourist feeding areas or congregate in atolls. But they are most often found in Vaavu and North Ari Atoll. With nannies, both snorkel and scuba dive, or free dive.

There are many stereotypes surrounding these sharks, due to which these animals are often underestimated, which can lead to an incompetent briefing, which in turn leads to openly provoking animals to bite. Especially like the fact that they allegedly "do not bite", "they have no teeth", "they are not predatory". Dear readers, remember - all sharks are predatory, and all have teeth, even planktivorous species. And any animal can bite. The nurse shark is very tolerant of people and can allow many things to be done to it, from simple petting to primitive training. However, even these peaceful creatures at first glance can bite and cause serious injuries. Nurse sharks have very poor eyesight and study an object of interest to them with the help of whiskers located just in front of the mouth. The shark can bite both out of curiosity and in case of provocation. Therefore, our entire team recommends to be careful when swimming and diving with these animals. They should not be underestimated, but you should not be overly afraid of them either. Be careful and handle animals with care!

Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) grey reef shark

A medium-sized shark, rarely exceeding 2.5 m in length. These are some of the most common sharks in the Indian Ocean, and in the Maldives in particular. They can be seen near almost any atoll, near coral reefs, on sandbanks, and they especially like channels. They often have strong currents in which sharks can rest, making minimal effort to swim. Grey reef sharks can swim both alone and in schools, but they do not know how to hunt together. These sharks can also hide in grottoes and rocks to give birth or hide from larger predators. They are often seen together with other shark species, such as silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) and whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus). They can sometimes be confused with both because all sharks have white spots on their dorsal fins. However, only grey reef sharks have a black border along the entire tail.

While these sharks are not considered dangerous to humans, bites have been reported when they are being fed and there are too many of them. These sharks are also known to attack if followed for too long. Sharks do not like to be followed for too long, which they may signal by swimming from side to side in a zig-zag pattern, arching their backs and lowering their pectoral fins. So be careful and be aware.

Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) silvertip shark

This is a medium-sized fish, reaching a length of up to 3 m. But more often they are found in sizes of about 2 m. These sharks can swim both alone and gather in large groups of up to 50 fish, they can often swim together with gray reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos). Adult sharks live at significant depths of about 40 m, but young and newborn animals, on the contrary, live in shallow waters, near coral reefs. These predators feed primarily on large and medium-sized bony fish, as well as rays, cephalopods and carrion. During the day, these sharks usually swim in canals, can rest in currents or near reef walls, and at night they hunt. They are easily recognized by the characteristic silvery-white edges on all fins, for which they received their name.

These sharks are found throughout the Maldives and often in the same atolls as grey reef sharks.

These sharks themselves are not dangerous, especially alone. But they can scare an unprepared tourist, because they often swim close to divers, in order to study them. But their bites are extremely rare and mainly occur when people try to touch the animals or feed them. The main thing when meeting them is to remain calm and not touch them.

Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus)

One of the most common sharks in the world. This species is common throughout tropical waters of the world, and is found in all the Maldivian atolls. Whitetip reef sharks are easily recognized by their dark gray coloring, white spots on the dorsal fin and tail. The maximum recorded length of these sharks is 2 m, but they rarely grow larger than 1.6-1.8 m. These sharks are found everywhere, both in shallow water and at depths of up to 90 m. They can swim both alone and gather in large groups, especially young individuals. They often lie in the open on the sandy bottom, can hide in groups in grottoes and under rocks or between corals.

Unlike many other sharks, whitetip sharks do not need to move constantly to breathe, so they can lie down, hide and rest on the seabed, as they can swallow water through their mouth and push it through their gills using special muscles. These sharks are not dangerous to humans, but they can bite if they are fed or provoked by pursuit.

Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)

The second most common shark in the Maldives, and in tropical waters in general. These sharks are found everywhere, on all the atolls of the Maldives. This type of shark lives mainly in shallow waters, near coral reefs and sand lagoons. Sometimes they can swim into open waters. These sharks are especially active at night, when they hunt reef and sand fish, mollusks and crabs. Young sharks can swim even in places where the depth is below the knee. However, these sharks are very cowardly and do not bite people without provocation. This type of shark usually reaches a length of about 1.6 m, but can grow up to 1.8 m.

These sharks are easy to recognize by the black spots on the tip of the dorsal fins, for which they got their name. However, they can sometimes swim together with other species of reef sharks, such as silvertip, grey and whitetip reef sharks. This species of shark is considered very timid and not dangerous, it is possible to get a bite from them only when catching them or trying to feed them.

Small-tooth sand tiger shark (Odontaspis ferox)

Probably the rarest shark found in the Maldives. This is due to the fact that these are deep-sea predators living at depths of about 900 m and deeper. However, they are periodically seen on the islands of Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll. It is found in many tropical and warm temperate waters. For unknown reasons, periodically these colossuses growing up to 4.6 m in length rise up to 15 m sometimes. Despite their large size and rather creepy appearance, these sharks have not been recorded as attacking humans. Meeting such a rare deep-sea fish is a great success for any diver. Very little is known about this species due to its habitat, but it mainly hunts deep-sea species of bony and cartilaginous fish.

Thresher sharks (Alopias) Thresher sharks

Some of the most beautiful and graceful sharks in the world! But to see them you need to have a diving level of at least Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD), since these fish rarely rise above 30-40 m. In the Maldives, there are 2 of the 3 species of thresher sharks, how to learn more about them can be read in a separate article in our group dedicated to them.

You can meet thresher sharks only on the island of Fuvahmulah. In other places where they are found, these are episodic encounters and very rare. Thresher sharks are easily recognized by a very long upper lobe of the tail, which can be equal to the length of the fish's body.

Although some representatives of this genus grow up to 6 m, they are not dangerous to people. There are no registered cases of these sharks attacking people. They are very timid and it is easier for them to simply swim away from the threat with one wave of their tail. They feed on small bony schooling fish, such as anchovies, mackerel, horse mackerel and squid.

Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) bull shark

A very serious predator, this is a large fish reaching up to 3.5 m in length. It is considered one of the most dangerous sharks in the world. These fish are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. They are known for their very changeable behavior and extreme persistence, which can turn into aggression. This is due to the fact that bull sharks have a very wide diet, they eat almost all species and types of marine animals that they can catch, from crabs and octopuses, continuing with large bony fish of all possible types, and ending with smaller sharks, rays and even marine mammals.

You can dive with these sharks only in the presence of experienced and qualified shark divers! They are rare, but still found in the Maldives. They were mainly observed in the North Male Atoll, Gaafu Alifa Atoll and Fuvahmulah Island.

They are semipelagic fish, meaning they can comfortably swim both at great depths - up to 300 m, and in shallow waters up to 1 m deep. In addition, this is one of the few shark species that can swim in both sea and fresh water. However, in the Maldives they are found mainly in deep waters and do not go into shallow waters.

Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna)

Perhaps the most unusual sharks on the islands of the Maldives. There are many myths and speculations around hammerhead sharks. But meeting them leaves no one indifferent. Especially considering that their numbers are decreasing every year. However, meeting them is not so easy. To do this, you should have very serious diving training, since the highest chances of meeting them are at depths of about 30-40 m. In the Maldives, two of the nine species of hammerhead sharks are found, what kind of species they are, how to distinguish them, you can find out from our separate article dedicated to these animals.

The highest chances of meeting hammerheads are on the island of Fuvahmulah and on the North Male Atoll. In other places, they are very rare, but also occur. Hammerhead sharks prefer strong currents and it is best to look for them early in the morning, because later they go to inaccessible depths.

Hammerhead sharks are considered potentially dangerous due to their size of about 3 m, some species can reach even 6.1 m. But despite all this, not a single fatal attack of these sharks on people has been recorded. This is due to the fact that these predators primarily hunt rays and bottom fish species, as well as squid and smaller sharks. But they can consider a person a threat and begin to defend themselves when actively pursued. Often, they simply swim away from people, showing no obvious interest in them.

Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)

These sharks are often mistakenly called leopard sharks because of their characteristic coloring, but this name is already taken by another species of shark. And they are called zebra sharks because at birth they have a striped coloring. And only during life, the stripes change to spots. These bottom sharks are relatives of nurse sharks, so they have quite a lot in common with them, including a “tame” character. They are very calm with people and do not attack them, their diet consists of bottom fish, crabs, shrimp and small octopuses and squids. Usually they are about 2.5 m long, but there are also three-meter specimens.

Zebra sharks prefer sandy bottoms, and they can often be found in Gaafu Alifu, Laamu Atoll, Thaa Atoll, as well as in the northern and southern Ari Atolls. Often only diving and freediving are possible with them, and it is very rare to have the opportunity to snorkel with them.

Spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna)

A large species of shark, growing up to 3 m in length. These sharks got their English name for their ability to jump out of the water and spin in the air. They are fast schooling predators, hunting mainly bony fish and cephalopods. They are found in the coastal zone from 30 to 100 m. Very often these sharks can be confused with the blacktip ocean shark, as they are very similar.

Spinners are most often used for diving and freediving, the best places for diving with them are the North Male Atoll, and Gaafu Ali. Occasionally they are seen on other atolls, but quite far from the shore.

There are no fatal cases of attacks on people for this type of shark, and in general, cases of bites are rare. But they can become very excited when there is fish blood in the water and attack underwater hunters in an attempt to take away their prey. In general, they avoid people, since their teeth and jaws do not allow them to hunt marine mammals, for which they mistake people.

Oceanic blavtip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)

NOT very large sharks, Widely distributed in coastal tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Average length is about 2 m, maximum recorded 3 m. Like shortfin gray sharks, this species can jump out of the water while hunting for small schooling species of bony fish and squid. They can swim in schools and show interest in divers, but without aggression. However, there are known cases of bites of these sharks during feeding and spearfishing. Outwardly, they also look like spinners, but differ in the shape of the snout, size and black edging on the tail and ends of the fins. But sometimes it is difficult for even specialists to distinguish them from each other.

These sharks can be observed mainly in the North Male Atoll and Gaafu Ali, but are also found in other atolls, as one of the most common shark species. Basically, only diving and freediving are carried out with them, in some cases some snorkelers may be lucky enough to meet them. These sharks are very active at night and at dusk, so we do not recommend swimming in their habitats at this time.

Oceanic whitetip shark \ Longimanus (Сarcharhinus longimanus)

A large oceanic shark that has earned a bad reputation among divers for its changeable behavior and often aggressive nature. These fish grow up to 4 m in length, but even a 2.5 m specimen can be dangerous. It is recommended to dive with them only in the presence of experienced professionals familiar with the behavior of these sharks and how to react to it.

Longimanus can be easily recognized by their large pectoral fins, with characteristic white spots on their rounded ends, as well as the copper-gray color of the body. These sharks are found strictly in the open sea, and as a rule do not approach the shores. The basis of their diet is large bony and cartilaginous fish, squid and even some marine mammals, especially weak and wounded ones, which they can pursue for days on end.

When they approach something that seems edible to them, their movements become more energetic, they stubbornly continue to pursue, keeping a safe distance, ready to rush into attack at the first opportunity. White-tip sharks are quite slow, but they are capable of making rapid dashes. It is very important to organize a group of divers and freedivers in their presence, since these sharks do not risk attacking groups of large creatures. But stragglers arouse their keen interest. Snorkeling with them is categorically unacceptable!

Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)

A large species of herring shark that lives in the open sea and oceans. Makos can grow up to 5.5 m, but the average length is about 3.5 m. Mako sharks are considered the fastest sharks in the world, capable of accelerating to 80 km / h. Their diet consists of large and fast ocean fish species such as barracudas, tunas, trevallies, mackerels and even marlins. During the hunt, makos often throw themselves out of the water in a fit of pursuit of prey. Makos are easy to recognize by their large black eyes, gray-blue coloring and protruding needle-like teeth. An ordinary person can easily confuse them with the famous great white shark, with which makos are related. However, great whites are not found in the Maldives.

An encounter with a mako is very rare, as they are found in the open sea and oceans. They often steal fish from fishermen, especially large ones like marlins. Many professional shark divers consider makos to be the most difficult shark to dive, due to their fickle nature and enormous speed and maneuverability.

Mako sharks are widespread in temperate and tropical waters of all oceans Create a carousel Add a description . However, this species of sharks has been assigned the IUCN status of "Endangered", which is why encounters with them are very rare even in the Maldives.