Shark

Sharks have skeletons made of cartilage. They feed mainly at night. At daytime is it normal to see smaller fishes swim close to the sharks. A local dive instructor told me that the fishes know then the shark is hungry or not.

Despite their bad reputation, most sharks are rather shy and will not attack people, but keep their distance. With a little luck can you get pretty close to them when they are sleeping at the sea bed. In fact, most shark attacks happens by mistake when the visibility in the water is poor.

Sharks seen at the reefs in Maldives are not harmful to people, unless they are molested or you try to feed them by hand. Fish becomes very frenetic when they are feeding, and sharks are no exemption.

The most common shark specie is Reef Shark, which can be up to 2 meters in length. Juventile Black Tip Reef Sharks are often seen patrolling the beaches, where they are safe from larger sharks. They feed on small animals they find in the sand.