Shark Report: Blacktip Shark

By: Bloody Bill

Article Category: Shark Report

Carcharhinus limbatus, the Blacktip Shark

We’ve been seeing a heck of a lot of these sharks in the news again. As it’s time for these sharks to be in our area, many people keep asking me this question: “How the do you tell the difference between blacktip and spinner sharks?” Well, I’m going to tell ya’ll.

Since we live in Central Florida, I’ve chosen a species that I consider number one for shark attacks in our area. We all remember the infamous week of attacks at Ponce Inlet a few years ago. It’s with this in mind I’d like to introduce to two sharks: Carcharhinus limbatus, the blacktip shark, and Carcharhinus brevipinna, the spinner shark.

Possibly one of the most common species in our area, the blacktip shark is known to reach lengths of 8.5 feet, although the average size is around 5 feet. As the name implies, this species has black tips found on the pectoral fins, first and second dorsals, pelvic fins, and lower lobe of the tail, though they may fade with age. It usually doesn’t have black tips on its anal fin, although a closely related species, the spinner shark, usually does possess this coloration. The blacktip shark is dark gray/blue to brown above, and white below with a distinct white band across the sides. They are stout, with a longer and more pointed snout in relation to other species. The first dorsal fin is positioned slightly behind the pectoral fins and is triangular-shaped with a narrow point.

Although this species is under the classification of “large coastal species,” they are found both inshore and offshore, but usually don’t stray far from the beach. Blacktip sharks usually begin to show up by the thousands in our area during early spring, and these schools are usually segregated by both size and sex. As the water begins to warm, these schools begin to move inshore. It’s during this time that females move into the estuarine nursery grounds where they give birth to live young. Usually they are found from the beach out to roughly 6 miles offshore where they feed mainly on the schools of mullet and other baitfish species. Common locations of these schools are murky shallow water, with low visibility, and inlets with high prey abundance are also a common location for this species, especially in our area.

Like most other shark species, they are opportunistic feeders and anything is considered a food source. They have been known to prey on hatchling sea turtles as they leave the beaches, and I consider this an important food source to the young of this species. During feeding, they are known to attack from below, often jumping out of the water and spinning several times. It is because of this behavior that they are often misidentified as spinner sharks. Although it has been reported that spinner sharks also perform this action, we personally have rarely, if ever, caught blacktip sharks during fishing operations in schools that do not spin.

According to the International Shark Attack File, both blacktip and spinner sharks are the leading species in Florida shark attacks. Primarily, these sharks will cruise the beaches feeding on baitfish in the murky waters of the surf. It is during this time that the majority of attacks occur. Surfing is by far the leading activity which results in attacks by this species, and Volusia County, specifically Ponce Inlet, is considered the shark attack capital of the world. Although attacks by blacktip sharks are very common in our waters, only one death has occurred according to the databases.

About 8 years ago, I happened to be fishing in south Cocoa Beach. I had mainly been catching stingrays, when two older ladies visiting from New York began talking to me. They had been walking in knee-deep water and asked me about the local critters in the ocean. As I often do, I told them primarily of the food value of some of the fish that are caught locally. They then proceeded to ask if I was “a hippie.” Granted, I had long hair at the time, and I have been known to catch my dinner on occasion, but a does that really make me a hippie? I took it with a grain of salt as we continued talking. I decided to switch over to my shark rig and hooked up one of the stingrays. I cast out roughly 10 yards into the surf as the ladies continued to wade and talk nearby. I heard them ask what I thought I’d expect to catch.

Before they could finish their sentence, the surf exploded as the line peeled off my reel and the shark bee-lined towards them. I have never seen people move as quickly as they did. Twenty minutes and several additional tourists later, the shark came into view. The 5-foot blacktip thrashed in the shallow water, and I handed the fishing pole to one of the ladies. They nearly fainted. I went down to the water, grabbed the shark by the tail, and dragged it up onto the beach. I told the tourists that that was what I expected to catch. I cut the line and dragged the shark back to the surf and let it go. The ladies asked why I didn’t kill it, because it was a shark after all. I explained to them that I don’t kill what I don’t eat. They just shook their heads as they walked away — and a good distance from the water, I might add.  All I heard as they went down the beach was “crazy hippie.”

Even though these sharks have been implemented in many attacks on our coasts and around the world, they are an integral part of our ecosystem. They deserve our continued admiration, respect and conservation.

Mahalo,
Bloody Bill

For more information visit: www.flmnh.ufl.edu

Many thanks to the University of Florida for the use of their extensive databases.