The blacktip shark is found in warm coastal waters around the world—where it often encounters people. The animal frequents bays, estuaries, coral reefs, and the shallow waters off beaches and river mouths. During summer some blacktip sharks migrate to typically cooler waters, including those off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while others stay put in warmer equatorial waters year-round. Blacktips have been observed to live in sexually segregated schools except during the mating season.