{"success":true,"attribution":"Cairns Tour Advice & Booking Centre — behavioural & biological information curated from public Queensland Government sources and local operator practice. Not medical advice.","disclaimer":"Tropical North Queensland is wild country. The information below is general behavioural and biological context — not a guarantee of safety. Wildlife is unpredictable, conditions change daily, and the most reliable safety system is a present, attentive traveller who reads signage, watches their surroundings, and follows the in-the-moment instructions of qualified tour guides, skippers, rangers and lifeguards on the day. If a guide tells you to do (or not do) something, there is always a reason — please follow it.","topic":{"slug":"sharks","title":"Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef","oneLiner":"The Reef is shark habitat — that's part of why it's a healthy reef. Shark species commonly seen by snorkellers and divers (white-tip, black-tip and grey reef sharks) are not aggressive towards humans and are a signature wildlife encounter.","whatItIs":"More than 130 shark and ray species live on the Great Barrier Reef. The species that day-trip snorkellers and divers commonly see are reef-resident: white-tip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus), black-tip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and occasionally grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos). These are all small (1–2m), reef-dependent, and feed on small fish and crustaceans.","whereAndWhen":"Reef sharks are present year-round across outer reef sites. White-tips often rest under coral ledges by day. Black-tips patrol the reef edge, especially near drop-offs. Larger pelagic sharks (which travellers ask about — bull sharks, tiger sharks) are rarely encountered at typical reef tour sites; they prefer murky inshore or open-ocean conditions.","behaviour":"Reef sharks are curious and cautious. Their default response to a human is to glide past or move away. Documented unprovoked incidents involving reef sharks and snorkellers/divers in our region are rare relative to time spent in the water — but 'rare' is not 'never', and any wild predator deserves respect. Shark-feeding is not practised on Cairns reef tours.","whatOperatorsDo":"Operators brief guests before each in-water session. Marine biologists or trained crew accompany snorkel groups at most sites and can name the species you're seeing. Operators avoid reef passes during peak spawning aggregations and don't dispose of food scraps overboard while guests are in the water.","whatYouCanDo":["Stay calm if you see one — it's the highlight of many people's trip.","Don't touch, chase, or block its path. Watch it pass.","Avoid wearing shiny jewellery in the water (no real evidence either way, but it costs nothing).","Swim with a buddy and within sight of the snorkel guide.","If you have a dive concern about a particular site, ask the marine biologist on board — they know the resident animals personally on most reefs."],"personalResponsibility":"You are entering the home of wild animals — including a top-of-the-food-chain predator. The encounter is overwhelmingly safe because everyone behaves predictably and follows the brief. Pay attention to the in-water briefing, stay with your buddy and within sight of the snorkel guide, don't free-dive towards a shark, and don't enter the water at sites or times the crew advise against (e.g. dawn, dusk, near a recent fish-cleaning event, or during baitfish aggregations). The reef rewards calm, observant behaviour and punishes silliness — even the harmless kind."}}