Barrier shark

The gray reef shark is the most common and territorial reef shark in the Indo-Pacific waters. Recognizable by its compact silhouette and the bold black band on the trailing edge of its caudal fin, it patrols coral drop-offs in small groups. Agile and fast, it sometimes displays a characteristic warning posture — arched back, lowered pectoral fins — before charging. In the Maldives, Raja Ampat, and the Red Sea, the drifts over drop-offs organized by DUNE lead to many encounters with this emblematic species.