Shark

Silky shark

Carcharhinus falciformis

IUCN status: Vulnerable

A slender, fast-swimming open-ocean shark seen in small numbers throughout the diving season around Socorro, occasionally in large aggregations — one documented encounter involved hundreds of silky sharks in a feeding frenzy.

Max size
Up to 3.3m
Habitat
Open water, often near current-swept points

Best places to dive with Silky shark

rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak season
Cocos Island
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Common in the blue water around the island and near seamounts on most dives across the year, often gathering under the boat between dives.

Galápagos
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Often in the blue off the reef at Wolf and Darwin, frequently in the same waters as whale sharks in the cool season.

Socorro
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Junenot seen
Julynot seen
Augustnot seen
Septembernot seen
Octobernot seen
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Usually seen in small numbers throughout the operating season; large aggregations are documented but not reliable.

Sources & last checked

Checked July 2026

This is a researched draft, not yet human-verified. The seasonality and logistics are drawn from the sources below — confirm specifics (permits, fees, closures) with an operator before you book.

Note on the data: conservationStatus 'vulnerable' is a judgment call — sources conflict between Vulnerable and Near Threatened depending on region/assessment vintage, and neither dive-travel source addresses conservation status directly. Worth confirming against the current IUCN assessment before publishing.