# Oceanic Whitetip Shark (*Carcharhinus longimanus*)

> The oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is an open-ocean predator with long white-tipped fins that once followed ships for days. Adults reach 3 m, and the species is Critically Endangered.

- **Category:** Fish
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Critically Endangered
- **Range:** Open tropical oceans worldwide.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/oceanic-whitetip/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Chondrichthyes
- **Order:** Carcharhiniformes
- **Family:** Carcharhinidae
- **Genus:** Carcharhinus

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Carcharhinus longimanus |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Habitat | Open ocean surface waters |
| Lifespan | 20–25 years |
| Weight | 80–170 kg |
| Top speed | up to 30 km/h |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |

## Open-ocean opportunist

Long paddle-like pectoral fins and slow cruising suit endless pelagic travel. Once abundant around shipwrecks and air crashes, populations have crashed from finning.

## Squid, fish, and carrion

Prey includes bony fish, squid, seabirds, and marine mammal carcasses. Bold investigation of anything floating can bring them to disaster survivors.

## All tropical open seas

Circumtropical surface waters far from land. Tagged sharks cross entire ocean basins.

## Critically Endangered from fin trade

IUCN lists oceanic whitetip Critically Endangered. Longline fisheries kill them as bycatch; high-value fins drove catastrophic decline since the 1950s.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why are oceanic whitetip fins white-tipped?

White mottling on rounded fins is a key field mark distinguishing them from other offshore sharks.

### Are oceanic whitetips ship followers?

Historically they trailed vessels for discarded waste — behaviour that made them easy finning targets.

### How dangerous are oceanic whitetips?

Rare human encounters can be serious in open water after disasters, but most people never meet them.

### Why is the oceanic whitetip Critically Endangered?

Industrial longline bycatch and targeted finning removed most individuals from open oceans.

### Where do oceanic whitetips live?

Warm open oceans worldwide, far from coasts.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/oceanic-whitetip/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.