Walking Shark

The Raja Ampat epaulette shark — Hemiscyllium freycineti — exhibits a remarkable form of locomotion. Using its pectoral and pelvic fins, it "walks" across the substrate in search of crustaceans and invertebrates.This adaptation allows it to navigate shallow, complex environments and even survive brief periods of low oxygen in tidal pools. The behavior is most commonly observed during night dives on the shallow reef flats around the islands of the Dampier Strait and at Melissa's Garden in the Fam Islands.At 70–80cm in length and well-camouflaged, spotting this unique endemic requires a slow, methodical search of the reef after sunset.