The oceanic whitetip shark is easy to distinguish. It has a large, rounded first dorsal fin, and very long, wide, paddle-like pectoral fins. The first dorsal fin is very large with a rounded tip, and is just in front of the pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin is located over, or slightly in front of, the anal fin. This species has a whitish-tipped first dorsal, pectoral fins, pelvic fins, and caudal fin. The underside of the body is white, with a yellow tinge on some individuals. 