The blacktip reef shark is found throughout nearshore waters of the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific.[4] In the Indian Ocean, it occurs from South Africa to the Red Sea, including Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles, and from there eastward along the coast of the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, and the Maldives. In the Pacific Ocean, it is found from southern China and the Philippines to Indonesia, northern Australia and New Caledonia, and also inhabits numerous oceanic islands, including the Marshall, Gilbert, Society, and Hawaiian Islands and Tuamotu.[8] Contrary to what most sources state, there are no confirmed records of this species from Japanese waters, and purported Japanese specimens likely came from Taiwan.[9] A Lessepsian migrant, this shark has colonized the eastern Mediterranean Sea by way of the Suez Canal.[8]

Although it has been reported from a depth of 75 m (246 ft),[5] the blacktip reef shark is usually found in water only a few meters deep, and can often be seen swimming close to shore with its dorsal fin exposed.[2] Younger sharks prefer shallow, sandy flats, while older sharks are most common around reef ledges and can also be found near reef drop-offs. This species has also been reported from brackish estuaries and lakes in Madagascar, and freshwater environments in Malaysia, though it is not able to tolerate lowsalinity to the same degree as the bull shark (C. leucas).[2] At Aldabra in the Indian Ocean, blacktip reef sharks congregate in the channels between reef flats during low tideand travel to the mangroves when the water rises.[10] There is equivocal evidence that sharks from the northern and southern extremes of its distribution are migratory

Amany Esmail