Wildlife Fact Sheet

Oceanic whitetip sharks are top predators that love the wide-open ocean. They are recognized by their white-tipped fins. They should not be confused with whitetip reef sharks which are found in reef habitats whereas oceanic whitetip sharks prefer the open sea. Because their meals can be few and far between, oceanic whitetip sharks are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat pretty much anything that comes across their paths, including large fish like tuna and marlin, cephalopods, other sharks and even sea birds. Oceanic whitetip sharks have even been known to eat trash thinking it’s food—which is definitely not good for them. Because oceanic whitetip sharks are opportunistic feeders, they have attacked humans on occasion, especially when a shipwreck lands people in the open ocean where these sharks like to roam. During both World Wars, the oceanic whitetip shark was a major concern for torpedoed boats and downed planes. But, in fact, the odds of humans ever encountering the oceanic whitetip sharks are very small.

Oceanic whitetips used to be among the three most abundant shark species, but now their populations are dwindling. Decreasing numbers spell trouble for the entire ocean ecosystem—removing a top predator like them can have serious ripple effects on their prey and other ocean creatures in the food web.