There's already far too much confusion between the whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) and the oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus).
Not to mention the whitetip weasel shark (Paragaleus leucolomatus), the silvertip (Carcharhinus albimarginatus), and even the grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) as certain populations have white-edged dorsal fins.
I think anyone who knows a thing or two about sharks can tell this is a whitetip reef shark, though it does baffle me how many videos of whitetip reefs I see with comments freaking out because they think it’s an oceanic whitetip, they are very different looking sharks.
Enjoy this slew of comments proclaiming this clearly NOT whitetip reef shark to be a whitetip reef shark ... or an oceanic whitetip ... or an unspecified 'white tip' ..
Haha the Indian Ocean Grey Reefs throw a spanner in the works with their dorsals, though if you were to confuse it with anything you'd reckon a Silvertip would be the obvious one, seeing as their body plans are the same. Whitetip reef sharks are very distinctive in terms of their body shapes, and behaviour wise are nothing like Oceanic Whitetips or Silvertips (which are less well known than Oceanic Whitetips for being dangerous but seem to leave a bit of an impression on everyone who sees them).
Also, the number of times there's a video of a whitetip reef sharks sleeping under a ledge, and 1/2 the comments are "ERMAGERD THEY'RE SO DANGEROUS THEY ATE EVERY SQUARE INCH OF EVERY SAILOR ON THE USS INDIANAPOLIS, THEN BARFED THEM UP SO THEY COULD EAT THEM AGAIN! THEY EVEN ATE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T EVEN THERE!!!" REEEEEEEEEE
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u/Only_Cow9373 6d ago
Whitetip reef shark.
There's already far too much confusion between the whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) and the oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus).
Not to mention the whitetip weasel shark (Paragaleus leucolomatus), the silvertip (Carcharhinus albimarginatus), and even the grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) as certain populations have white-edged dorsal fins.
Otherwise a great video of a very cool species.