02/01/2024
An encounter with a gentle beast. 🦈
The tiger shark, named for its distinctive vertical bars on the body, retains these markings throughout its life, although they fade somewhat in adulthood. These sharks are in the Requiem Shark family - typically medium to large-sized sharks with slender bodies and pointed snouts. They have multiple rows of sharp, serrated teeth, perfect for capturing and consuming their prey. Most species within this family are characterized by a grey or brownish coloration on their upper bodies, providing effective camouflage in the ocean environment. 🐅
It ranks as the fourth largest shark and is the second largest predatory shark, surpassed only by the great white shark. They’re not picky when it comes to food—their powerful jaws and sharp teeth enable them to devour a diverse range of prey, including stingrays, seals, turtles, clams, and more. That means that unlike other sharks that are more particular about their prey, tiger sharks have practically an endless food supply. Tiger sharks are naturally very curious, which helps in discovering new food sources - They have been found with license plates, tires and even other sharks in their stomachs. 🪪
The tiger sharks conservation status is near threatened due to excessive finning and fishing- killing them for their fins, edible flesh, and liver oil rich in vitamin A, which is used to make supplements. In the past, there tough skin was used to make leather, which is still used for traditional Hawai’ian drums. They are also hunted for sport.❌️
