The blacktip shark is appropriately named after — you guessed it — its black-tipped fins! Not to be mistaken for the blacktip reef shark which typically grow to around 1.6 m (5.2 ft), this species can grow considerably larger, measuring 2.4 m (8 ft).
Blacktip sharks can be found in oceans around the world, from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific region. They live in coastal waters around coral reefs and frequent bays and estuaries. They live in relatively shallow waters, normally no deeper than 30m (100 ft).
Blacktips have a stocky greyish brown body with a white belly, a pointed nose, and small eyes. All of the blacktip′s fins are black-tipped, except for its tail fin.
These sharks are known for leaping and spinning out of the water while hunting, leading to it often being mistaken for the spinner shark, as both species have torpedo-shaped bodies, black-tipped fins, and are known for airborne acrobatics while chasing prey. Blacktip sharks mostly eat small schooling fish, bony fish, other sharks, skates, rays, crustaceans, and squid.