Dive with
Best places to dive with Grey reef shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
A classic requiem reef shark of Indo-Pacific drop-offs and channels, grey-bodied with a plain first dorsal fin and a broad black margin on the tail. It patrols current-swept reef walls and is far more common on remote offshore reefs than inshore. The IUCN uplisted it to Endangered in 2020 after steep declines.
Destinations ranked by how reliably grey reef shark is seen. The bars show the likelihood by month — never a guarantee. See the full species page for more.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | peak season |
| July | peak season |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
The headline species. The South Pass holds a resident aggregation commonly counted at 300-700 grey reef sharks year-round. Densities peak around the June-July full moon when the sharks feed on spawning groupers. Present at both passes; sightings are reliable but exact numbers vary with tide and season.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident on Baa's outer reefs and channels year-round, with a grey reef shark nursery at Anga Faru. Sightings favour current-swept channel and thila dives rather than any season.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Grey reef sharks are among the more reliable large animals here, patrolling the deeper walls of both pinnacles.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Concentrated on the northern seamounts — Castle Rock and Crystal Rock, where operators report them patrolling daily — rather than spread through the park. Also reported at Langkoi Rock in the far south. Year-round; no seasonal pattern found in the sources reviewed. Best seen hooked in on the current-facing side, which is why this is an advanced-site animal.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident at Blue Corner, Ulong and Peleliu; numbers and activity peak March–May around the full and new moons.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident and commonly seen in the passes and along outer reef walls, especially in current at sites like Dynamite Pass. Year-round; not seasonal.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
The most reliable shark here — grey reef sharks appear on nearly every dive, often in groups of several, patrolling the walls and drift sites like Washing Machine and Amos Rock.
| 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 |
Patrol the current-swept pinnacles, notably Kal's Dream and Sharks Galore off Pura, alongside whitetip reef sharks.
| 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 |
An occasional wall and blue-water encounter in the north, chiefly at Tiran. Grey reef sharks are far more reliable on Egypt's southern offshore reefs (the Brothers, Daedalus) than around Sharm.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | not seen |
| December | occasional |
More common at South Point and the deeper wall (Sipadan closed in November).
| 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 |
Reported at Koh Torinla and exposed reef edges; less frequently seen than the shallow-reef blacktips.
| 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 |
Occasional around the wrecks and lagoon passes; not the reason to come here.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Occasionally seen in the blue off the more exposed points such as Sachiko's, but far less reliable than the reef whitetips and blacktips.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Reported occasionally on Vava'u reefs but the least commonly seen of the three reef sharks here.