The Tasseled Wobbegong Shark's Climate

Geographical Location

• The tasseled wobbegong occupies a small area geographically in the western Pacific Ocean. The area includes the northern coast of Australia, eastern Indonesia, the northern Great Barrier Reef, Papua New Guinea and northern Queensland. All of these areas, like the Great Barrier Reef, lie within the tropics. The weather is consistently warm, both for the air and water.

Wet Season

• The wet season in the tropical climate for the northern Great Barrier Reef begins in November and lasts until March. Temperatures can reach 30 degrees Celsius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit. High humidity accompanies the high temperatures. Lightning storms can accompany the precipitation. Cyclones, the term for hurricanes in the tropics, occur, if at all, from December to February.

Dry Season

• July, August and September comprise the dry season on the northern Great Barrier Reef. The climate has low humidity and temperatures. Most days are sunny with little rain. Temperatures average 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit, in the daytime and 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, or 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit, at night.

Habitat

• The habitat of the tasseled wobbegong consists of waters up to a depth of 40 meters or 131 feet. The shark also lives in shallower water around reefs. It stays mostly on the bottom of the ocean where it waits its prey. The wobbegong is a nocturnal hunter and thus experiences the nighttime climate of the ocean floor.