Alopias pelagicus

Thresher Shark

Até 3.5 metros
Até 20 anos
Vulnerável
Sobre

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.

Tamanho

Até 3.5 metros (corpo), tail adds another 3 metros

Peso

Até 70 kg (pelagic species)

Expectativa de vida

Até 20 anos

Estado

Vulnerável

Onde encontrá-los

Melhores locais de mergulho

Malapascua Island, FilipinasMonad Shoal, FilipinasMar Vermelho, EgitoÁfrica do SulGalápagosAzores, Portugal

Dicas de mergulho

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.

Melhor época

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

Habitat

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

Alimentação

Schooling fish (sardines, mackerel, herring) and squid
Você sabia?

Curiosidades

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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