The Galápagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) at Kicker Rock
Scientific facts and curiosities about the shark you are most likely to meet on the 360 tour.
- Scientific name
- Carcharhinus galapagensis
- Size
- up to ~3 m
- IUCN status
- Least Concern
Identity card
The Galápagos shark is a requiem shark of the family Carcharhinidae. It was first described in 1905 from specimens collected in the Galápagos, which gave it its name, although it lives around oceanic islands worldwide. Adults usually measure 2.5 to 3 metres, with a grey-brown back, a white belly and a faint white band on the flank.
Curious facts
It prefers clear water around steep drop-offs — exactly the kind of habitat found in the Kicker Rock channel. Females give birth to live young (viviparity) after a gestation of around one year. Juveniles stay in shallow water to avoid being eaten by larger sharks. Around snorkelers they are curious but not aggressive, and the guide always keeps the group together.