Fortunately, this was not the end of the encounter. None of the divers in our group could decide whether we saw eight Leopard Sharks on this dive or the same two sharks several times. This shark is known as Stegostoma fasciatum to biologists. They are more closely related to Wobbygongs, Tawny Nurse sharks and Whale sharks. They have a broad and blunt head with a pale yellow colored body.
Many sharks have a ventral mouth well suited to predatory lifestyle.
This one has a mouth closer to the front just like that of a Wobbygong. A lot of light brown spots cover the body. Juveniles have zebra like stripes and many people call them Zebra sharks. The sandy color gives them incredible camouflage. As I mentioned above, they are difficult to discern from a distance because of the similarity in color to sand.