Once described as perhaps the most abundant large animal on Earth, the oceanic whitetip is now Critically Endangered. Adopt one and support MMF's work to protect threatened sharks and the habitats they share with other ocean giants.
CRCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
>98%fall in oceanic whitetip numbers
71%decline in open-ocean sharks and rays, 1970 to 2018
24 of 31open-ocean shark and ray species now threatened
What you'll give
The name stays in your browser and is not stored by MMF. You can change it after checkout.
Plus a gift card with your own message:
Birthday
Valentine's Day
Christmas
Signed by the scientist
Every adoption certificate is signed by MMF's Co-Founder & Executive Director.
Dr. Simon PierceCo-Founder & Executive Director, Marine Megafauna Foundation
Why adopt an oceanic whitetip shark?
The open ocean is the world's largest habitat, and many oceanic sharks and rays were historically common. Lineaweaver and Backus's 1969 book The Natural History of Sharks described oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) as "extraordinarily abundant, perhaps the most abundant large animal… on the face of the earth".
Today the formerly abundant oceanic whitetip has suffered a more than 98% reduction in numbers, and it is now Critically Endangered.
What happened to open-ocean sharks
Industrial fishing did not start regularly targeting sharks in international waters until the 1950s. A 2021 global study in Nature, co-authored by MMF co-founder Dr. Andrea Marshall, found that the abundance of 31 open-ocean shark and ray species declined by 71% from 1970 to 2018, as relative fishing pressure increased 18 times over that period. Twenty-four of these 31 species are now threatened with extinction.
Sharks are not spread evenly across the ocean. Major oceanographic features aggregate several open-ocean species, and the industrial fleet concentrates its fishing on these productive areas. As the ocean warms, some open-ocean species, including oceanic whitetips, can swim toward the poles to stay at their preferred temperature. Read more on our overfishing and climate change pages.
Photos: Gerald Schömbs / Unsplash
How your oceanic whitetip adoption helps
MMF does not run an oceanic whitetip project. Your adoption supports MMF's work as a whole, including our Migratory Species Program, which works to reduce the threats facing wide-ranging sharks and rays, from ship strikes to fisheries bycatch.
Oceanic whitetips share the open ocean with whale sharks, one of the species that program centers on. In the northern Galápagos, satellite tracks from whale sharks tagged by the Galapagos Whale Shark Project, with MMF as a collaborator, have extended up to 2,747 km (1,707 miles) from Darwin Island, far into open water.
Ready to help? An oceanic whitetip shark adoption is $39, with a personalized certificate to download straight after checkout.
Pay securely in the pop-up. Your receipt arrives by email.
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Add the name
Type the adoptee's name and see it on the certificate.
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Download and give
Download the certificate and a gift card, then print or forward them.
Oceanic whitetip shark adoption FAQs
Are oceanic whitetip sharks endangered?
Yes. The oceanic whitetip has suffered a more than 98% reduction in numbers and is now Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Why have oceanic whitetips declined so much?
Industrial fishing began regularly targeting sharks in international waters in the 1950s. Across the 31 open-ocean shark and ray species, abundance fell by 71% from 1970 to 2018 as fishing pressure rose.
Does MMF study oceanic whitetip sharks?
No. MMF does not run an oceanic whitetip project, although MMF co-founder Dr. Andrea Marshall co-authored the 2021 global study that documented the decline of open-ocean sharks and rays. Your adoption supports MMF's work as a whole, including our Migratory Species Program.
What does an oceanic whitetip adoption support?
It supports MMF's work as a whole, including research and conservation for threatened sharks, rays, and other ocean giants.
What is a symbolic adoption?
A symbolic adoption is a gift to MMF's work as a whole. We use it where it does the most good, and that includes the research and conservation behind the animal you chose. No animal is taken from the wild or sent to you. Your certificate records your support.
What do I receive?
A personalized adoption certificate (PDF) with the name you choose and the date, ready to download as soon as checkout is complete. You can also make a gift card for a birthday, Valentine's Day, or Christmas with your own message. Both are yours to print or send by email.
Can I give an adoption as a gift?
Yes. Type the recipient's name for the certificate and write your message on the gift card. Because everything is digital, it works as a last-minute gift too.
How do I get my certificate?
After checkout you are taken to a page where you type the name and download the certificate. The link to that page is also in your receipt email, so you can come back to it later.
Is my adoption tax-deductible?
Your adoption is tax-deductible in the USA. MMF is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization, and you receive a receipt by email.
Is anything sent by mail?
No. The certificate and card are digital files, so nothing is printed or shipped.
