Animal profile
Where to see wobbegongs
Eucrossorhinus dasypogon (tasselled wobbegong)
The tasselled wobbegong is a bottom-dwelling carpet shark ranging from Raja Ampat and New Guinea to northern Australia. Its head and chin are ringed with an elaborate fringe of branching skin flaps — the tassels that name it — and its mottled brown and grey pattern breaks up its outline against sponge and coral so completely that divers routinely pass within a meter without seeing it. It is nocturnal and hunts by ambush: by day it lies motionless under ledges and in cave mouths, and by night it takes fish, crustaceans and cephalopods off the reef, sometimes twitching its tail to lure prey close before lunging.
- Size
- Up to about 1.8 m
- Diet
- Fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, ambushed at night
Best places to see wobbegongs
How to identify a wobbegong
- The dense branching fringe of skin flaps — the 'beard' — around the head and chin.
- A carpet-like pattern of spots and dark saddles that matches the surrounding sponge and coral rather than any bold marking.
- Look under table corals, ledges and small caves, not in open water. It will be lying perfectly still.
Meeting them responsibly
- Never touch, poke or corner one. It looks inert, but it bites defensively — and it is hard to detach once it has.
- Watch where your hands and fins land when you look under a ledge. It won't move away, so accidental contact is on you.
- Keep a body length back and let the guide point it out rather than reaching in for the photo.
Frequently asked questions
- Where can I see wobbegong sharks?
- Raja Ampat in West Papua, Indonesia, is the most reliable place on earth, with regular sightings in the Dampier Strait — Cape Kri, Sardine Reef, Mioskon — and around Misool. The species also occurs across northern Australia and New Guinea.
- Are wobbegongs dangerous?
- They won't chase you, but they are ambush predators that bite defensively if touched, stepped on or cornered. Case files record dozens of unprovoked bites on divers and swimmers — none fatal, but the small sharp teeth go through a wetsuit and the shark can be hard to release.
- Why are they called wobbegongs?
- The name is thought to come from an Australian Aboriginal language, meaning roughly 'shaggy beard' — a reference to the branching skin flaps fringing the shark's mouth and head.