Oceanic whitetip sharks

Photo of young oceanic whitetip shark (taken by Julien Stein, Marine Photobank)

The oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus is a completely different species to the whitetip reef shark, Triaenodon obesus. It can be found in tropical and warm temperate seas. It is a large open water shark and, although usually encountered over deep water, they do sometimes come close to shore. They tend to have quite a varied diet due to the sparse distribution of prey in the open ocean, They have a preference for bony fish but are also frequently associated with mammal carrion such as whale carcasses. Feeding on the occasional whale carcass might be sufficient to keep them going for a while. They tend to be very bold & inquisitive and may investigate any potential food source when meals are scarce. (Source: http://saveourseas.com/blog/red_sea_shark_attacks_in_perspective?utm_source=Save+Our+Seas+Foundation+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f007e5d6db-Newsletter_December_2010_FINAL&utm_medium=email )