Reef sharks: the ones you'll actually see

Reef sharks: the ones you'll actually see

Forget the hollywood shark. The sharks you'll actually encounter on a reef dive are a handful of species, none of them dangerous, all of them worth the trip.

The four reef sharks

• Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos): Indo-Pacific. Up to 2m. Aggressive-looking but almost always cautious. The classic 'channel shark' you'll see hanging in current at sites like Blue Corner, Castle Rock, Ulong.
• Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus): Indo-Pacific. Smaller (1.5m). Often resting on the sand or under ledges during the day; active hunter at night.
• Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus): Indo-Pacific. Shallow-water shark, often in knee-deep lagoons. Skittish and beautiful.
• Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi): Only in the Caribbean. Up to 3m. The classic shark-feeding dive at places like Stuart's Cove (Bahamas) is usually this species.

Are they dangerous

No. There have been a handful of defensive bites recorded over the decades of diving — usually provoked. Reef sharks don't see humans as food. Don't spearfish around them, don't touch, don't feed (unless you're at a controlled shark-feeding dive), and you'll have no issues.