Alopias pelagicus

Thresher Shark

Jusqu'à 3.5 mètres
Jusqu'à 20 ans
Vulnérable
À propos

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.

Taille

Jusqu'à 3.5 mètres (corps), la queue ajoute 3 mètres

Poids

Jusqu'à 70 kg (pelagic species)

Durée de vie

Jusqu'à 20 ans

Statut

Vulnérable

Où les trouver

Meilleurs sites de plongée

Malapascua Island, PhilippinesMonad Shoal, PhilippinesMer Rouge, ÉgypteAfrique du SudGalápagosAçores, Portugal

Conseils de plongée

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.

Meilleure saison

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

Habitat

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

Régime alimentaire

Schooling fish (sardines, mackerel, herring) and squid
Le saviez-vous ?

Faits amusants

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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