Oceanic Whitetip shark
Alternative names: Brown Milbert's sand bar shark, brown shark, nigano shark, silvertip chark, white-tipped whaler, Carcharhinus longimanus
The Oceanic Whitetip shark is a large species of shark that can be found in the tropical and warm temperate waters. It's most distinctive feature is its long, white-tipped, rounded fins.
Although, Oceanic Whitetip sharks are slow swimmers they are considered one of the most dangerous species of shark thanks to their opportunistic, bold and unpredictable behavior.
There are two famous examples of when it opportunistically feed on the shipwreck victims. The most famous attack happened during World War II when a ship called "Nova Scotia" that carried 1000 people was sunk by a German submarine near South Africa. Only 192 people survived, the large number of dead passenger is believed to be the work of the Whitetip shark. Another occurred the same year after a warship (USS Indianapolis) was abolished, the Whitetip shark attacked and killed an estimated number of 800 soldier.
Even though the Oceanic Whitetip shark represents a threat for us because of its aggressive nature, the human beings have been far more lethal against whitetips. The Oceanic whitetip population declined by 70% between 1969 and 2003 as a result of environmental pressures and the hunting for shark fins (which are used to make shark fin soup), its meat and its oil.
Currently the Oceanic Whitetip shark is classified as "vulnerable" across the World, but in some areas it is even classed as "critically endangered".