When we think of sharks (which one frequently does, if you’re as terrified of them as I am), we generally imagine the black eyes, massive, streamlined bodies, and rows of razor-sharp teeth of the great white. But, although the great white is undoubtedly the biggest predatory shark, has it really earned its title as the world’s most dangerous? The most horrific shark attack in recorded history  was not, in fact, committed by the great white, but by a far more mysterious species of shark: the oceanic whitetip.

What Are Oceanic Whitetip Sharks?

The oceanic whitetip is a large member of the requiem shark family, a group which includes the bull shark and dusky shark. They are easily recognized by their distinctively round, white-tipped fins. Oceanic whitetips are highly migratory and inhabit deep, open, temperate waters across the globe. As life in this environment is relatively sparse, oceanic whitetips are not picky eaters, feeding on just about anything they come across. This is mostly fish, but includes squid, sea birds, carrion and leftovers from other predators. They have even been known to follow whales around to eat their poop (lovely). As food is not always available, oceanic whitetips are fairly slow swimmers, conserving their energy for when they need it most. Even their hunting strategy is energy-efficient: they simply swim at large shoals of fish with their mouth open and eat whatever winds up in it. They are also known to follow shipping vessels for miles at a time, waiting to scavenge whatever they can. As such, they are often around when accidents happen and people wind up in the water. It is in such instances when the oceanic whitetip’s seemingly lazy, laid-back demeanor is proven to be deceptive. Though slow, these fish are capable of rapid bursts of speed, and are known to be highly aggressive, tenacious predators. Their powerful bodies and jaws make them efficient killers, with different sets of teeth designed to both grip and tear, as well as slice through flesh.

Size: up to 4m (13ft), average 2m (6.5ft)
Speed: slow, but capable of short bursts up to 16kph (10mph)
Diet: mainly fish, cephalopods and carrion, but not picky.
Teeth: top jaw: triangular for slicing, bottom jaw: pointed and jagged for gripping and tearing
Temperament: persistent, aggressive, confident, bold, curious
Habitat: deep, open ocean, worldwide

Oceanic Whitetip Shark Attacks On Humans

The oceanic whitetip is sometimes known as the “shipwreck shark” for its tendency to be first on the scene during ocean disasters. It is believed that survivors of shipwrecks or airplane accidents which occur on the open ocean are frequently finished off by these powerful predators. Because few people, if any, live to tell the tale or are able to identify the sharks which took their comrades, it is difficult to determine exactly how many deaths these sharks are responsible for, though the number may well be higher than official records suggest.
Fortunately, it is unlikely for most people to come into contact with oceanic whitetips because of their preference for deep water. Unlikely, but not impossible…

Sharm El Sheikh

In 2010, a spate of shark attacks occurred over the course of four days, in popular Red Sea beach resort, Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt. On December 1st, two women were attacked within minutes of each other. The first lost her arm and left buttock during the attack, but managed to survive. The second woman lost her hand and left leg, but likewise survived. A few kilometres away on the following day, two men were attacked. One lost one arm and suffered serious wounds to the other, but survived, while the other escaped with relatively minor leg injuries. On December 5th, the day after the beaches were reopened following the first attacks, a 71-year-old German woman was attacked and killed. Like the other victims, the shark initially incapacitated her by attacking her limbs. All of the attacks occurred in shallow water, with plenty of other swimmers around. It is believed that an oceanic whitetip was responsible for all of the attacks except the two men on December 2nd, who were attacked by an emaciated shortfin mako.

USS Indianapolis

On July 30th, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine whilst transporting uranium from Guam to the Philippines, for the construction of the nuclear bomb that would later decimate Hiroshima. Of the 1195 crew members, roughly 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 900 or so were left adrift in the middle of the Pacific ocean, the majority in the water with lifejackets or clinging to debris. Over the following 4 days, two thirds of the men died, many of them killed by sharks. It is believed that oceanic whitetips were responsible for some 150 deaths during this nightmare. Many of those who survived were left traumatised by the experience. One of the survivors, Sergeant  Edgar Harrell, said, “All we could hear was men being eaten alive. Every day, every night.”

Critically Endangered

While these attacks are, without question, horrific for those involved, we can take small comfort in the fact that they are exceptionally rare. The vast majority of human encounters with the oceanic whitetip are peaceful. Oceanic whitetips are known to be very curious around divers, and will often approach very closely to check them out. They often take particular interest in reflective photographic equipment in which they can see their own reflection, making them excellent subjects for underwater photography. Most of these sharks’ aggression seems to be centred around food, when they enter “feeding mode”. Because of the scarcity of food in the open ocean, they have to feed quickly and aggressively in order to survive.


As with most life on Earth, humans are a far bigger threat to oceanic whitetip sharks than they are to us. Their population has seen a dramatic decline in recent years, largely due to overfishing, resulting in their reclassification as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. The oceanic whitetip is prized for its fins in East Asia, which are used to make shark fin soup. These sharks are also caught accidentally and considered “bycatch” by many fisheries. Unfortunately, most die before they can be released from hooks or nets. These practices have resulted in an over 95% population decrease in some regions, with predictions that this shark will become extinct in the near future if more is not done to protect them. Not only would the disappearance of such a curious, tough and majestic creature be tragic in itself, but the impact this would have on the marine ecosystem would be devastating. You can find more information about the problems these beautiful sharks are facing here: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/whitetip-sharks-declared-critically-endangered-but-gain-no-protections-in-pacific/