2026/07/30 by Luca Asshauer, Ahmed Inah, Ali Ansaaru Ahmed +2
paper · doi:10.1071/pc26035
Breaching behaviour is reported across elasmobranchs but remains poorly documented in pelagic carcharhinids. Here we report an opportunistic in-water observation of a breaching oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) from the Maldives. A single individual rapidly ascended while rotating, breached about 2 m above the surface before re-entering. No prey was present. A pilot fish (Naucrates ductor) detached during the ascent and did not reattach. This observation provides direct evidence of breaching in this species.