These are open water cageless shark encounters. Divers must be Advanced Open Water certified or equivalent and be proficient in their skills. We typically have calm and clear waters, but occasionally have to deal with strong currents. Drift diving experience is suggested. There are safety divers in the water at all times.
- Oceanics
- Reef
- Nurse
- Silky
- Blue
A large shark with large rounded white-tipped fins. The shark has a high rounded first dorsal fin and very long paddle-shaped pectoral fins.
Gray bronze above, white below. White mottling on dorsal and pectoral fins.
Most specimens are 6.5 ft [2 m] or less, but a few individuals may reach a total length of 11.5 to 12.9 ft [3.5 to 3.95 m]. Males mature at 5.7 to 6.5 ft [1.75 to 1.98 m] and reach at least 8 ft [2.45 m]. Females mature at 5.9 to 6.6 ft [1.8 to 2 m], and reach at least 8.8 ft [2.7 m].
Teeth of the upper jaw are broad, triangular and serrated, lower jaw teeth are erect with serrated cusps.
Oceanic, epipelagic, but occasionally coastal. Oceanic Whitetip Sharks are usually found far offshore in the open sea, but it is sometimes found off oceanic islands where the water is 120 ft [37 m] deep. The shark is regularly found in waters 64°F to 82°F [18°C to 28°C], but prefers sea temperatures above 68°F [20°C].
Circumglobal in tropical and warm temperate seas. Once abundant in the Gulf of Mexico, the Oceanic Whitetip has virtually disappeared due to overfishing.
Prey - Primarily bony fish such as tuna, marlin, jacks, barracuda and dolphinfish, but these sharks also feeds on cephalopods, sea birds, turtles, marine mammals, carrion and garbage.
Reproduction - Viviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta. Litter size ranges from 1 to 15. Gestation is about 12 months. Size at birth ranges from 1.9 to 2.13 ft [60 to 65 cm]
The shark cruises leisurely near the surface with its huge pectoral fins outspread. It can be extremely fast and aggressive when competing for food.
The shark has been implicated in a number of unprovoked attacks on swimmers. Divers report that it is very persistent in baited and unbaited situations. When fended off, an oceanic whitetip shark often returns, circles and approaches again. Its opportunistic feeding habits, heavy build, strong jaws and teeth, and its stubborn aggressiveness indicate that it should be treated with caution.
The oceanic Whitetip shark is what first brought us to Cat Island. This is one of the very few places on earth that divers can get up close to these magnificent sharks with a wild reputation. The Oceanic is a pelagic shark with distinct features making it easy to recognize and unforgettable to dive with.
On a typical dive day looking for oceanics, we'll board our boat in the early morning, usually between 7-9am, depending on tides and weather. There are several sites around Cat to find the Whitetips, and each day's destination will be decided by the group, with the captain having the final say based on weather and safety. Finding the sharks can take anywhere from minutes to hours. Our captains know the best spots to find sharks that are willing to play, but it's a big ocean.
In some of the locations we've encountered Oceanics, we have also seen Reef, Nurse, Lemon, and Tiger Sharks. We have also had curious silky and blue sharks stick around for hours. These whole day encounters are sure to be rewarding! At the end of the day if your up to it we can take you to a place where the reef sharks will check you out nonstop.
Gray brown to olive above, white to yellowish below.
Most sharks encountered by divers are about 5.2 ft [1.6 m] in length. Males mature when they are between 4.9 and 5.5 ft [1.52 to 1.68 m], females at 6.5 to 9 ft [2 to 2.95 m].
Teeth in both jaws are serrated. Teeth of the upper jaw have narrow cusps and broad bases and are semi-erect to oblique, teeth of the lower jaw are narrow and erect with triangular cusps and broad bases..
The Caribbean Reef Shark is a tropical inshore bottom dweller of the continental and insular shelves. It is often found on coral reefs and adjacent to drop offs.
Western Atlantic from Florida to southern Brazil, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It is the commonest shark on coral reefs in the Caribbean.
Prey - Thought to feed on fishes and rays.
Reproduction - Viviparous. Litters of 4 to 6 pups have been reported. Size at birth is 24 to 30 inches [60 to 75 cm].
Reef Sharks have been observed in caves and lying motionless on the bottom.
In staged “shark feeds” in the Bahamas the shark may make close passes at divers. It is rarely aggressive, but four incidents have been recorded.
Caribbean Reef Sharks can be found all around the island and have been the star of most shark diving in the Caribbean. The Reefys on Cat, however, have yet to be habituated to the routine, and seem eager to investigate divers.
A large-headed shark with nasal barbels and dorsal fins about the same size.
Gray-brown, yellow brown or brown body. Juveniles may have dark spots.
Most individuals encountered by divers are less than 10 ft [3 m] total length. Males take about 10 to 15 years to mature, and reach maturity when they are about 8.2 ft [2.5 m] in length and will grow to at least 8.4 ft [2.57 m]. Females take 15 to 20 years to mature, and reach maturity when they are about 7.5 to 7.8 ft [2.3 to 2.4 m] and will grow over 8.5 ft [2.59 m] in length. Maximum length is said to be 14 ft [4.3 m] but most are less than 9.8 ft [3 m].
Teeth are similar in both jaws: a single large cusp, flanked on each side by 2 smaller cusps.
Nurse sharks are typically found inshore from intertidal to depths of 165 ft [ 50 m] on rock and coral reefs, in channels in mangrove keys and reef flats.
Western Atlantic from southern Brazil to Cape Hatteras with strays to Rhode Island, including Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Eastern Atlantic in Cape Verde Islands and along the coast of west Africa. Eastern Pacific from southern Baja to Peru.
Prey - small fish and invertebrates: lobster, shrimps, crabs, squid, sea urchins, octopus, snails and bivalves.
Reproduction - Ovoviviparous. Litters range from 21 to 30. Size at birth is 8.25 to 11.8 inches [27 to 30 cm].
The nurse shark is nocturnal; it is an active strong swimmer at night, but is sluggish by day. The shark uses its muscular pectoral fins to clamber over the bottom, but divers usually see the shark lying motionless on the bottom, often with its head in a crevice. By day, nurse sharks may rest in aggregates of 2 to more than 30 individuals, leaning against or atop one another. The shark has a well-defined fixed home range and it may return to the same daytime resting site for long periods of time.
A large slim oceanic shark with a moderately long rounded snout and an interdorsal ridge.
Dark brown to bronze above, white below. The shark has dusky fin tips and a faint white band on its flank.
Males mature when they are about 6 or 7 years of age and attain a length of 6.1 to 7.1 ft [1.87 to 2.18 m] and may reach a length of 9.8 ft [3 m]. Females mature when they are between 7 and 9 years of age and have attained a length of 7 to 7.5 ft [2.13 to 2.3 m], and they may reach a length of at least 10 ft [3.05 m]. The maximum size for this species is 10.8 ft [3.3 m].
The teeth of the upper jaw are serrated and have oblique to erect cusps, and the lower jaw teeth are erect.
The silky shark is found near edges of continental and insular shelves as well as the open sea. The shark has been found at a depth of 1,640 ft [500 m], but it also occurs inshore at the surface and in areas where the water is only 18 inches [45 cm] deep. The shark, abundant offshore and inshore, is oceanic, epipelagic and littoral. This species prefers sea temperatures from 73.5º to 75ºF [23º to 24ºC].
Circumtropical.
Prey - Pelagic and inshore bony fishes including tuna, albacore mullet and porcupine fish, as well as squid and crabs.
Reproduction - Viviviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta. Litters consist of 2 to 14 pups. Size at birth is 27.5 to 34.25 inches [70 to 87 cm]..
This is an active, fast and aggressive shark. It is frequently found with schools of tuna. The shark will give way to an oceanic whitetip shark, C. longimanus .
The shark usually ignores divers but make may a threat display when approached by divers, however, it has been implicated in several incidents.
The Silky shark is one of the most frequently encountered sharks in the palagic zone. It is named for its smooth skin and can be distinguished from other sharks by its relatively small first dorsal fin, and tiny second dorsal. When they show up, you're in for a treat. Silkies have been known to stay around for hours checking out the divers and the boat. They are generally bold enough to approach closely, offering some great photo opportunities.
This shark is BLUE, and it is one of the most beautiful sharks. It is a slim, graceful shark with a long, conical snout, large eyes (no spiracles), and long, narrow scythe-shaped pectoral fins well in front of the first dorsal win with no interdorsal ridge. Mature females often bear bite wounds (mating scars).
This shark has a dark blue back, bright blue flanks and sharp demarcation to a white underside.
At birth, the blue shark is 1.1 to1.4 ft [35 to 44 cm] in length. Males mature at 6 to 9.2 ft [182 to 281 cm], while females mature at about 7.2 ft [220 cm]. Their maximum length is about 12.5 [380 cm].
Curved, saw-edged, triangular upper teeth.
Oceanic and pelagic, usually off the edge of the continental shelf from 0 to 1148.3 ft [0 to 350 m] (deeper in warmer waters). Migrations often follow major trans-oceanic currents. They occasionally venture inshore at night, particularly around oceanic islands or where the continental shelf is narrow. Their nursery areas are offshore.
The blue shark is located world-wide in temperate and tropical oceanic waters (temperature 44.6 to 77ºF [7 to 25ºC], preferably 53.6 to 68ºF [12 to 20ºC], latitude 60ºN to 50ºS. Possibly the most wide-ranging of sharks because they live in such a broad range of areas.
General - In European waters, pups remain in offshore nursery areas until they reach about 4.3 ft [130 cm] in length, when they begin to migrate with other sharks of the same age and sex. Males mature at 4-6 years: females at 5-7. Mature females may breed annually, or on alternate years. Their longevity is approximately 20 years.
Prey - Feeds on relatively small prey: usually squid and pelagic fish, but also invertebrates and bottom-dwelling fish and small sharks. They sometimes take seabirds at the surface of the water.
Reproduction - Viviparous, yolk-sac placenta. They have anywhere between 4-135 pups per litter (usually 15-30), which are born in the spring and summer after a 9-12 month gestation period.
Blue sharks cruise slowly at the surface with the tips of their dorsal and tail fins out of the water, and long pectoral fins extended. These sharks are most active in the early evening and at night when they may move inshore. They form large aggregations (where still sufficiently abundant) to feed on shoals of prey or carrion. They are highly migratory with complex movements related to prey availability and reproductive cycles. Blue sharks segregate by age, sex, and reproductive phase: juveniles, sub-adults, mature sharks, and pregnant females are usually found in separate areas, with adult males and females meeting only briefly to mate. The sharks move seasonally to higher latitudes where prey is more abundant in productive oceanic convergence or boundary zones. They have frequent vertical excursions made into deep water or to the thermocline, returning regularly to the surface (possibly to prevent body cooling). Tagging studies have demonstrated that Atlantic Blue Sharks undertake numerous trans-Atlantic migrations, swimming slowly with the major current systems. Pacific blue sharks may migrate up to 5716.6 miles [9200 km].
Blue sharks are the most heavily fished shark in the world; many millions are taken annually, mainly as bycatch. Their meat is low of value, but their large, valuable fins are kept and enter the international shark fin trade (often after the carcasses are discarded at sea). Recent reports of approximately 60-80% decline in catch rates and reductions in sightings frequency, but data are inadequate to assess global population decline. Although often timid, they are potentially harmful due to their dentition, and have been implicated in a few accide
nts.
We've had some great encounters with blue sharks, typically toward the end of the Oceanic season. There have even been instances where we've swam with oceanic and blue sharks together. It's a real treat to see these animals interact together.
