Hi everyone, Doa here. 👋😁
Today’s blog is all about one of my favorite animals: sharks! Well, to be more specific, a particular species of shark that I adore. Meet the Whitetip reef shark—a graceful, curious creature that’s one of the most common shark species found in the shallow waters around Okinawa.
Much like their close relatives, the Blacktip reef sharks, these sharks are often affectionately nicknamed “sea pups.” And once you’ve seen them in the wild, you’ll understand exactly why!
I wish I could share a video with you right now to show just how charming they are, but unfortunately, this blog platform doesn’t support that. So instead, allow me to take you on a little nostalgic flip-book journey through words…
#🤓 Nerd Corner 🤓#
- Whitetips are cartilaginous fish, just like all other sharks. 🦈
- They can grow an average length of 1.6 meters. 📐
- The lifespan is approximately 16 to 25 years.
- They reach sexual maturity around the age of 8 years. They mate via internal fertilization and give birth to 1 to 5 pups per litter. 👶👶👶👶👶
- They are predators of ctopuses, crustaceans, and reef fish, including eels, snappers, parrotfish, triggerfish, etc. 🍔 And prey of larger fish, such as tiger sharks and giant grouper.
- Like all other sharks, they can breathe through ram ventilation. However, whitetips can also breathe by buccal pumping (a similar method to frogs and octopuses). That’s why they can rest at the bottom. 🌬️
Thank you for reading! See you in another monologue! 🤗
