Pelagic Thresher Shark

Alopias pelagicus

The pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) is a medium-sized shark reaching up to 3.3 meters, with roughly half its length comprising the extraordinarily elongated upper caudal fin lobe. It has a dark blue-grey back, white underside, and large eyes. Found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it inhabits open ocean and seamount environments at depths of 0 to 300 meters. This species uses its whip-like tail to herd and stun small schooling fish before consuming them. At specific locations such as Monad Shoal in the Philippines, pelagic threshers visit cleaning stations at dawn, allowing divers to observe them at close range while cleaner wrasses remove parasites. These reliable dawn encounters have made Malapascua Island one of the world's premier shark diving destinations.