Best places to dive with Blacktip reef shark

Resident on shallow reef flats and lagoons across Baa year-round.

Common in the shallows, on reef flats and along the lagoon edge, including the Tetamanu coral garden. Small and skittish; reliable year-round in shallow water rather than in the pass drifts.

Reliable year-round in shallow bays such as Shark Bay, Aow Leuk and Hin Wong. Shy and easily spooked by regulator noise, so often easier to see while snorkelling.

Juvenile blacktip reef sharks patrol the shallow bay at Koh Bida Nok and are among the most reliable shark encounters in the central Andaman, often seen on a single shallow dive or even while snorkeling.

Seen regularly on the reef tops and shallow walls, often alongside grey reef and whitetip sharks.

Seen around the Padang Bai and Nusa Penida reefs, often in shallower water than the whitetips.

Patrols the shallower reef tops and wall edges; encounters are fairly frequent but not guaranteed on any single dive.

Occasionally seen alongside whitetips at Shark Point and along reef drifts; sightings are not guaranteed.

Seen patrolling shallow reefs around the Adang/Rawi group; not a guaranteed sighting.

On the shallow reef flats.

Commonly seen on shallow reef flats but not guaranteed on every dive.

Seen on shallow reefs and around the islands; a common Andaman reef shark. Sightings vary by site and day through the open season.

Common over shallow reefs and around the islets such as Koh Chi and Koh Pachumba.

Occasional on Vava'u reefs year-round, alongside whitetips and the odd grey reef shark. Encounters are single animals rather than aggregations.