Alopias pelagicus

Thresher Shark

Bis zu 3.5 Meter
Bis zu 20 Jahre
Gefährdet
Über

Thresher Shark

Thresher sharks are instantly recognisable by their extraordinarily long tail fin, which can be as long as their entire body. They use this tail as a whip to stun schooling fish before feeding. Malapascua Island in the Philippines is the only place in the world where divers can reliably see thresher sharks at shallow cleaning stations at dawn.

Größe

Bis zu 3.5 Meter (Körper), der Schwanz fügt weitere hinzu 3 Meter

Gewicht

Bis zu 70 kg (pelagic species)

Lebenserwartung

Bis zu 20 Jahre

Status

Gefährdet

Wo man sie findet

Beste Tauchorte

Malapascua Island, PhilippinenMonad Shoal, PhilippinenRotes Meer, ÄgyptenSüdafrikaGalápagosAzoren, Portugal

Tauchtipps

At Malapascua, arrive at the cleaning station before dawn and wait quietly at 25–30m depth. Thresher sharks are extremely shy — any sudden movement will scare them away. Small groups and controlled breathing are essential. The experience of watching one glide in at first light is unforgettable.

Beste Saison

Year-round at Malapascua (best November–June), dawn dives essential

Lebensraum

Open ocean (pelagic), visiting shallow seamounts for cleaning. Indo-Pacific region.

Ernährung

Schooling fish (sardines, mackerel, herring) and squid
Wusstest du?

Fun Facts

1

Their tail whip can accelerate at 30g — one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom

2

Malapascua is the only place on Earth where thresher sharks are seen daily at diveable depths

3

They can leap fully out of the water despite their enormous tail

4

Thresher sharks are endothermic — they can maintain a body temperature above the surrounding water

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