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Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Carcharhinus longimanus

Fish · family Carcharhinidae · order Carcharhiniformes

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Threatened[1]
Native in
7 states[2]
Longest recorded life
22 years[3]

The oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is a fish in the family Carcharhinidae[4]. It is listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1].

Conservation status

Under the US Endangered Species Act, the oceanic whitetip shark has the status Threatened[1]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Critically endangered[5].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Threatened
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[5] Critically endangered

Where Oceanic Whitetip Shark lives

NatureServe lists this shark as native in 7 US states and territories: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas[2]. State conservation ranks are listed for each of these states[6]. People have also reported it to GBIF most often in Hawaii, Florida, California, Louisiana and Virginia, but these counts follow where observers look, not how many animals live there[7].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: native, state rank SNRNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: native, state rank SNRDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S2SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: native, state rank S3LAMississippi: native, state rank SUMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S2TXFlorida: native, state rank SNRFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[6].
Show state ranks (7 states)
StateRankMeaning
DelawareSNRNot Ranked
FloridaSNRNot Ranked
LouisianaS3Vulnerable
MississippiSUUnrankable
New JerseySNRNot Ranked
South CarolinaS2Imperiled
TexasS2Imperiled

Lifespan

In AnAge, the longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 22 years[3]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan[3]. Females reach sexual maturity at 1,825 days[8].

Trait Value
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[3] 22 years (wild)
Litter or clutch size[9] 6.1
Female maturity[8] 1,825 days (about 5.0 years)

When to look for it

GBIF observation records in the United States are highest in April, May and December[10]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[10].

January: 5 recordsJanFebruary: 7 recordsFebMarch: 8 recordsMarApril: 12 recordsAprMay: 16 recordsMayJune: 3 recordsJunJuly: 12 recordsJulAugust: 7 recordsAugSeptember: 10 recordsSepOctober: 9 recordsOctNovember: 2 recordsNovDecember: 13 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[10].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January5
February7
March8
April12
May16
June3
July12
August7
September10
October9
November2
December13

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Hawaii, Florida, California, Louisiana, Virginia[7]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the oceanic whitetip shark endangered?
It is listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Critically endangered[5].
Where does the oceanic whitetip shark live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas[2].
How long does an oceanic whitetip shark live?
The longest recorded lifespan in the wild in AnAge is 22 years[3]. This is a record, not a typical lifespan[3].
When are oceanic whitetip sharks reported most?
GBIF records in the United States are highest in April, May and December, which reflects when people look and report[10].

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Oceanic whitetip shark has the status Threatened (USFWS ECOS). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe lists Oceanic Whitetip Shark as native in 7 US states and territories: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  3. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 22 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  4. Oceanic Whitetip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is a fish in the family Carcharhinidae, order Carcharhiniformes. NatureServe Explorer
  5. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Critically endangered. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe state ranks for Oceanic Whitetip Shark (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  7. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Oceanic Whitetip Shark: Hawaii, Florida, California, Louisiana, Virginia. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  8. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 1,825 days (about 5.0 years). AnAge
  9. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 6.1. AnAge
  10. GBIF observation records of Oceanic Whitetip Shark in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.