Dive with
Best places to dive with Brownbanded bamboo shark
Chiloscyllium punctatum
A small, bottom-dwelling carpet shark of the Indo-West Pacific. Juveniles carry dark banding that fades with age. Nocturnal and sedentary, so daytime sightings mean spotting one wedged under a coral head rather than swimming. Assessed Near Threatened globally by the IUCN Red List in 2024, mainly from fisheries pressure and habitat loss.
Destinations ranked by how reliably brownbanded bamboo shark is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
The most reliably reported shark at Con Dao, cited by local operators on the shallow reefs at Hon Cau and Bay Canh. It is small and resting, not a pelagic encounter. Con Dao has no dependable big-shark diving.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Found tucked under boulders and inside wreck structure at Tokong Laut, the Police Wreck and San Choi Wreck at the Perhentians. A guide who knows the ledges will usually turn one up; divers looking on their own often miss them because the sharks sit motionless in shadow. Most active at night.