Best places to dive with Whitetip reef shark

The one shark that can be counted on at Apo Reef. Commonly seen resting on sand patches along Shark Ridge and the plateau edges year-round. Global FinPrint surveys recorded whitetips at Apo Reef and Tubbataha while finding almost none on other Philippine reefs surveyed.

Seen year-round around thilas and reef ledges, including Maaya Thila night dives.

Resident year-round, commonly resting under overhangs and on reef ledges across Baa.

Abundant year-round. Manuelita's south side is known for large numbers hunting together on night dives, one of the signature experiences at Cocos.

Regular on the deeper walls and around the Maratua channel, often resting on ledges during the day.

Resident on the reef and in the passes year-round, often seen resting under ledges by day. Present alongside the grey reef sharks but in smaller numbers.

Non-baited cameras recorded high relative abundance, and groups rest on sand patches along the plateau reef. They are widespread but not guaranteed on every dive.

Resident, commonly resting on sand and ledges at the central sites.

The most commonly seen shark in the park and present year-round. Reported daily on the northern pinnacles (Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, The Cauldron), resting on ledges at Batu Bolong, and through the central sites. No seasonality documented in the sources reviewed.

Resting on the sandy ledges at Shark's Cave and cruising the shallower reef at Crack Reef and Wreck Point. Reliable year-round in the sense that they live here; only observable in the March–August window.

Resident, resting under the ledges of Gato Island year-round.

A year-round reef shark, usually resting or hunting around reef structure. It is not present on every dive.

Resident in the channels and caves.

Resident on the Ribbon Reefs, commonly seen resting under ledges by day; regular at drift and wall sites. Not seasonal.

Resident on the reef and wall (Sipadan closed in November).

Common and reliable, resting on sand plateaus and ledges; Shark Airport is named for its predictable whitetip aggregations.

Resident around channel ledges and reef slopes; the official Miyaru description records them particularly during the northeast monsoon.

Whitetip reef sharks may rest along channel ledges and reef slopes. They are not expected on every dive.

Reef sharks are reported on Atauro's outer walls and at the northern sites such as Akrema, and on the boat dives around Manta Cove and Shark Fin Reef. Numbers are modest — Conservation International flagged a shortage of large fish at some Atauro sites as a sign of past overfishing.

Frequently seen at Gili Mimpang and other Padang Bai pinnacles, resting on ledges and in overhangs.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Regularly resting on ledges and in crevices along the deeper wall sections; the most commonly seen shark in the park.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported peak is applied.

Possible throughout the operating year; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Present on bay reefs, without a supported seasonal concentration.

The most commonly seen shark at Apo Island, resting on ledges and patrolling the current-swept points; blacktips also occur, and threshers are a rare deep report.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Seen on the reef sections around Manta Bowl and Ticao's fringing reefs.

Seen resting on the sand at Shark Point and occasionally on deeper drifts; present year-round but not on every dive.

Whitetip reef sharks are seen on and around the pinnacle walls.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Whitetip reef sharks may rest in lava recesses around both islands.

Whitetip reef sharks may rest under lava ledges; no defensible monthly peak was found.

Whitetip reef sharks may rest in Molokini's recesses and under ledges, without a supported monthly peak.

A supporting species for the Black Rock & the Twins ISRA and the most frequently seen shark on the reefs, usually resting under ledges at Fan Forest Pinnacle, Shark Cave and Black Rock.

Rests on the deeper sections and ledges of the Pescador wall; not seen every dive.

Possible throughout the operating year; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Present year-round on the northern reefs, resting under ledges by day. More reliably seen than the seasonal pelagics, but not on every dive.

Seen on the north-coast reefs and at Toyapakeh, often as juveniles; a coral-restoration site in the MPA has recorded juvenile whitetips. Numbers are modest compared with Komodo or Raja Ampat — this is not a shark destination.

Whitetips may rest under reef ledges and beside wreck structure, without a supported seasonal peak.

Possible throughout the operating year; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

The most likely shark in the region, usually resting under ledges on the deeper Balicasag slope or on the Cabilao wall. Not reliable on any single dive — reef shark numbers across Bohol are well below what they were, and diver reports from Cabilao describe sharks as scarce.

Whitetip reef sharks are seen from time to time at the deeper reefs and pinnacles, less reliably than the leopard and blacktip sharks.

Reported most often at exposed current sites, especially the plateau north of Batee Tokong; not reliable on every dive.

Possible in the region; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Common on the reefs and boulder sites, including Christmas Point; juveniles seen fairly often. Resident on Andaman reefs through the open season.

Possible throughout the operating year; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Seen on reef and pinnacle sites including Koh Torinla; resting on ledges and patrolling the reef.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Whitetip reef sharks are reported at Tioman, but there is no defensible monthly peak or encounter guarantee.

Whitetips may be seen on deeper Una Una ledges. Togian diving should not be booked as a reliable shark trip.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Seen resting under and around some wrecks. Truk is not a shark destination; encounters are incidental.

Reported at structure sites such as Split Rock and Fingers. Present year-round but in low numbers — Vava'u is not a shark destination.

The most common shark here, seen resting on ledges and along walls; shark numbers overall are modest compared with big-animal destinations.

Occasional reef-shark reports do not support planning a Bangka trip around shark sightings.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported peak is applied.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported peak is applied.

Documented around Mitita in the 2017 survey. Frequency outside the southern islets is not quantified.

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Occasionally seen at the higher-current Verde Island sites (Washing Machine, Fishbowl). Puerto Galera is not a shark destination, so encounters are uncommon.

Whitetip reef sharks are reported but are not reliable enough to plan a Tenggol trip around.