One of the rarest sharks to encounter, the wobbegong is found only in a small number of dive destinations around the world. Distributed in the shallow temperate and tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, this unique looking shark is most commonly found around Australia and Indonesia. Wobbegong is the common name actually given to 12 different species of this shark, also known as “carpet sharks” because of the shaggy looking beards that grow around their mouths and the fact that they spend most of their lives laying still on the ocean’s floor.

He is far from the powerful, fear-inspiring, torpedo shaped image we have of most sharks. This ornate shark has a flat body that is well camouflaged with wide splotches of coloration to match the reef around it. Because they have the ability to pump water over their gills, they lack the need to swim continuously and, therefore, spend the majority of their lives laying still on the reef’s bottom. This sedentary lifestyle combined with their superbly camouflaged skin makes spotting them difficult, so when diving in these areas keep your eyes peeled! To find the best locations in the world to scuba dive with wobbegong sharks explore the map below.