Blacktip Reef

A Lasting Impression

The expansive, award-winning Blacktip Reef exhibit represents a flourishing ecosystem, transporting visitors to the shallower waters of the Indo-Pacific. Vibrant fishes dart between corals, grey sharks cruise through the clear water, and huge speckled rays glide gracefully along the sandy floor.

The exhibit makes its mark on visitors, inviting them to observe its hustle and bustle from above and below the water's surface. Its scale and scope are easily seen from above as guests traverse the first four levels of Blue Wonders: Reefs to Rainforests. And breathtaking underwater views are a finale that ensures no one forgets their visit.

Solitary vs. Social Sharks

Blacktip Reef is home to four species of sharks: zebra sharks, blacktip reef sharks, and two species of wobbegong. These species vary as much in their temperament and behavior as they do in their looks. The ornate and tasselled wobbegongs prefer to lurk, their excellent camouflage making them look more like rocks and coral than fish. The zebra sharks prefer a solitary existence, too, and can often be seen resting on the sandy bottom or lazily swimming near the surface. The blacktip reef sharks, however, hang out in numbers, often forming groups called shivers. This can help with hunting prey and affords them protection from larger sharks since adult blacktip reef sharks only reach an average 5 feet in length. Guests can see their grey bodies streak through the water as they follow one another through the exhibit.

Guests sometimes express surprise at seeing sharks and other fish living together, and ask if the predators ever eat the prey around them. Thanks to careful habitat design, intentional species selection, regular feeding, and training, predation is much less of a concern. Additionally, many shark species target older or weaker prey that are less likely to escape, making the healthy fish in Blacktip Reef less appealing from the start.

Re-creating a Reef

Real reefs can take 100,000 to 30 million years to fully form, so growing our own coral wasn't an option. Instead, the 3,000 life-like pieces of coral you see in Blacktip Reef were handcrafted by habitat fabricators. Today, our fabrication team, working from their workshop at our Animal Care and Rescue Center, casts, fills and cures replacement pieces using silicone molds of real coral skeletons. The calcium carbonate foundation that forms real reefs may be missing, but hundreds of fish still find shelter among the fabricated coral and coralline algae.

Ripples Above, Reef Below

Take a look at life on the reef! Do you see a humphead wrasse? An Australian whipray? A spotted unicornfish? If you spot a flippered reptile floating near the surface, congratulations—you've found Kai, Blacktip Reef's rescued green sea turtle. An injury from a boat strike makes diving challenging for her, but that doesn't stop her from exploring every corner of the reef.

In such a complex habitat, it's easy to overlook things. So, we invite each guest to stop for a few moments, observe and really lose themselves in the reef. Choose a fish to follow for a while. Maybe you'll find its home, watch it search for food, or see how it interacts with neighbors. With so many species and individuals, you're bound to spot something new each time.