Facts about Oceanic Whitetip Shark
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Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the oceanic whitetip shark is protected from international trade under CITES Appendix II.
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In the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis, oceanic whitetip sharks killed an estimated 150 of the 900 sailors who survived the initial torpedo attack.
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Maturity in oceanic whitetip sharks occurs around 6 to 7 years of age, when females reach approximately 5 feet in length and males reach about 4 feet.
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Viviparous reproduction in oceanic whitetip sharks produces litters of 4 to 15 pups after a gestation period of approximately 9 months.
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Populations of oceanic whitetip sharks have declined by approximately 99 percent since the 1950s due to overfishing for their fins in international waters.
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Oceanic whitetip sharks possess a distinctive long pectoral fin that can reach lengths of 5 feet, making it proportionally the longest of any shark species.
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Aggressive behavior toward fishing vessels and shipwreck survivors earned oceanic whitetip sharks the nickname 'the carcharodon of the open ocean' among maritime communities during the 20th century.
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The oceanic whitetip shark swims at speeds up to 17 miles per hour and can travel over 40 miles daily across open ocean waters.