While many divers love to spot sharks, let's be honest - many of us still get our silkies, nurses and lemon sharks mixed up. While certain sharks are easier to identify (obvious answers being the whale shark and the wobbegong) to a total newbie, a first encounter can still leave them perplexed.

So, to help all water adventurers, we've decided to round up some of our favourite sharks to spot in the deep blue, and point out some key identifiers, alongside the best times and places to swim with them. So, if you're looking to find out what shark you're seeing when, then read on for our shark identification tips.

underwater photo showing a hammerhead sharks head from a below angle as it swims along the sandy seabed

Hammerhead shark, Sphyrnidae family

Let's begin our shark identification with an obvious species: the hammerhead shark. Within the hammerhead family, there are nine species, with the most common being the great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead. While they vary in size (the great hammerhead grows the largest, reaching up to 20ft), the key distinction of these sharks from others is their distinctive hammer- or shovel-shaped head (cephalofoil), which is flattened and wide.

Best time and place to spot them:

Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran):

  • Where: Bimini in the Bahamas and the Maldives (December to March)

Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini):

whale shark swimming close to the water surface in clear blue water. the sunlight coming in shows the spotted pattern and it's surrounded by smaller fish.

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus

Whale sharks, the dotted docile giants of the ocean, are the largest shark species, often reaching 40ft. You can identify these sharks from the crowd (although they're solitary, so they won't often be found in a crowd…) by their sheer size and distinctive white, dabbled spots along their back and sides. As filter feeders, they're often spotted swimming with their mouths open to feed on plankton, and this is one of the only times you'll see them in groups.

Best time and place to spot them:

  • Mexico: Isla Holbox and Isla Mujeres (June to September).
  • The Philippines: Donsol and Oslob (February to April).
  • Maldives: South Ari Atoll (year-round, with a peak from August to October).
  • Australia: Ningaloo Reef (March to July).
underwater photo of a lemon shark swimming close tot he water surface

Lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris

Usually found in coastal, shallow waters, the lemon shark can be identified by its yellowish colouration (hence the name), flat head with a short, broad snout and equally sized dorsal fins. The lemon shark's yellowish colouring helps it blend seamlessly into sandy bottoms as it cruises for prey.

Best time and place to spot them:

  • Bimini in the Bahamas (November to April)
underwater close up photo of a tiger shark's head and half body

Tiger Shark, Galeocerdo cuvier

The skin of a tiger shark is striped and spotted, resembling that of a tiger (again, hence the name), and the stripes are even more distinctive in juveniles. Beyond just decorating their skin, the pattern on the tiger shark's body acts as camouflage, allowing these species to hunt effectively at night. You can also spot the tiger shark from its curved dorsal fin and asymmetrical tail, although we think the stripes are an easier indicator.

Best time and place to spot them:

  • Bahamas: Tiger Beach in the Bahamas (year round, but most commonly November to April).
underwater photo of a blacktip reef shark swimming alone

Blacktip Reef Shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus

With a streamlined body, blacktip reef sharks are often spotted frequenting shallow waters and coral reefs to the delight of divers year round. Their distinctive feature is the black tips on their dorsal fins (the fins on their back). Typically growing between five and six feet, blacktips have robust, greyish-brown bodies with relatively large eyes and a rounded snout.

Best time and place to spot them:

underwater photo of a group of whitetip reef sharks swimming under a ledge

Whitetip reef shark, Triaenodon obesus

Despite the similar name and appearance, black and whitetip reef sharks are not from the same family. Unlike blacktips, whitetips are slightly more streamlined and elongated and grow ever so slightly larger (averaging between six and seven feet). However, the obvious distinction between the two is that whitetips have a white tip on their dorsal and tail fin.

Best time and place to spot them:

underwater photo of a nurse shark resting on sandy seabed in clear waters

Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum

One way to identify a nurse shark is they'll be the ones napping on the seabed during the day. As a nocturnal species, nurse sharks are active at night, so they use the daytime to rest and recoup before an evening of activity. With its broad flat head, rounded dorsal fins and cylindrical body, these sharks can reach an impressive nine feet in a tawny-brown colour and have small rounded spots (much more defined among the juveniles), making it easy to identify from other shark species.

Best time and place to spot them:

underwater photo of a silky shark, close up of its head as it swims close to the water surface

Silky Shark, Carcharhinus falciformis

Creeping up in size, we have the silky shark that grows to 11ft and can be identified by the smooth, silky texture of its skin and the small dorsal fin. Known for their agile and swift movements in open water, the silky shark is slender and streamlined with a slightly rounded snout.

Best time and place to spot them:

  • Cocos Island in Costa Rica: Known for large schools of Silky Sharks (year round)
  • Galápagos Islands in Ecuador: Darwin and Wolf Islands (year round)
  • Red Sea in Egypt: particularly around offshore reefs and islands (year round)
underwater photo showing the pattern on the back of a wobbegong shark as it swim over coral reefs.

Wobbegong Shark, Orectolobidae

Onto a different-looking shark: the wobbegong family (of which there are 12 recognised species). They are known for their distinctive look: camouflage-looking skin with intricate patterns that help them blend into their surroundings on the seafloor, where they are most often found resting motionless, waiting for their next meal. You'll identify these sharks from their broad, flat bodies, which appear to be fringed by skin flaps around their heads.

Best time and place to spot them:

underwater photo of a thresher shark swimming in open water

Thresher Shark, Alopias spp.

Last but certainly not least is the thresher shark. The easiest way to identify a thresher shark is by its long, whip-like tail that is often as long as its body. With its streamlined body and large pointed pectoral fins, you can spot this 20ft, metallic beauty slinking through open water in the early hours. But trust us, there's no need to check on their fins; you'll spot them by their large tails.

Best time and place to spot them: