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The Blacktip Shark, or Carcharhinus limbatus, is one of the more energetic of all the 365+ species of shark. It is known to feed so vociferously that they are well known for creating competitive feeding frenzies when confronted with other sharks as competition. They have also been known to achieve such speeds when feeding that they physically launch themselves completely clear of the water.

For the most part the Blacktip Shark is not aggressive. They are generally easy to scuba dive with and pose little threat to humans. To date there have been 41 attacks on humans by the blacktip shark. Out of those 13 have been provoked attacks, indicating that the victim harassed or aggravated the shark in some way. That means that 31% of all known attacks were caused by the shark feeling threatened or harassed; that is drastically higher than the 16% of provoked attacks by the Great White Shark. Since the blacktip shark is highly energetic it might be reasonable to assume that it is therefore aggressive. But the statistics, in fact, prove just the opposite.

The blacktip's relatively docile personality make it a popular candidate for scuba divers looking to snap some pictures. It can be rather quick to get snappy though, especially if there is food around. The blacktip is a highly competitive shark and will snap at anything they could see as competition for food, including a diver or photographer.

Although most shark species are solitary except for the purposes of reproduction, or in some cases feeding, the blacktip shark is general seen traveling in small groups. Larger groups will assemble for feeding. Large groups of females tend to gather in shallow, freshwater bays to give birth but usually do not stay in the area very long.

The blacktip is also a popular sport fish in the areas in frequents. Its energy and stamina make it a good candidate for the sport fisherman as it can last a long time on the line and put up a good fight. This is one of the reasons that the blacktip shark is coming close to being a threatened species. In true human fashion, we have proven ourselves to be far more dangerous to this animal than they will ever be to us.

All in all, the blacktip shark will be far less dangerous to you on a dive than any number of other creatures that inhabit the area. They generally seem to prefer that you keep your distance from them, and they will do the same. They are energetic and can be pushed into a bite, but are not very curious and will mainly ignore your presence unless or until they feel threatened.

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