Introducing the Hammerhead Shark

The hammarhead shark is perhaps the most unique of all sharks. It has a large flat rectangular head. They can be up to 20 feet long and grow up to 1,000lbs in their 30 year lifespan. Their eyes are set on the edges of its head, which it can use to attack prey. Having their eyes set so widely gives them an advantage when hunting for prey. They have a larger visual range than other sharks, making it easier to scan the ocean. Also, having a wide head allows them to have a larger ampullae of lorenzini, which is what sharks use to detect the electrical fields of their prey. This increased sensitiviy allows them to find the foods it likes, even if they are burried in the sand. There are many types of hammerhead, with the great hammerhead being the largest, most are relativaly small. Although they are very defensive and attack when they are bothered, hammerheads are not very aggressive. In fact, they are generally considered harmless to humans. These sharks have triangular teeth that are very jagged and like to migrate to cooler waters in the summers. Generally they like temperate or tropical waters around the world. They like to eat smaller fish, octopuses and squid.

These sharks are known to swim in large schools off the coast of the galapagos islands. They have been found to have routines, where they are very quiet in the day and active at night, where they make many trips out into the open ocean. See Here for more details.

Click here for an interesting video about a shark giving birth on a beach!

. N.p.. Web. 30 Oct 2013. <http://www.galapagos.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/marine2-hammerhead-sharks.pdf>.

national geographic, N. G.. N.p.. Web. 30 Oct 2013. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/hammerhead-shark/>.

N.d. Photograph. n.p.

Introducing the Tiger Shark

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a very scary shark. They are one of the most likely to attack humans, and unlike the great white, they are not likely to swim away after a bite. They are the ‘garbage can’ of the sea because they eat almost anything including squid, birds, sea snakes, and garbage like old tires and license plates. Their jaws are so strong that they are able to crack open turtles and clams. They got their unique name because of the stripes on their backs, which often fade as they age. These stripes may be a sort of camouflage, because when they are young they stay near the coast where the stripes look like a reflection of the waves. They prefer tropical and subtropical oceans around the world, particularly the coastal waters. These sharks can be monsters, up to 25 feet long and up to 1,900lbs. They are hunted for their skin, flesh, vitamin A rich livers and fins. They have lower reproduction rates which makes this fishing put a strain on their numbers. The females have the pups inside of her for up to 16 months. They can give birth to 80 pups at a time, with about 41 being the average. Although this may sound high, females can only reproduce after they reach sexual maturity at age eight, and then every three years after that. Surprisingly, there are few projects studying these huge predators, but there are tourist trips that can take you to see them.

Click here to see a trip option to go visit Emma the Tiger Shark!

Ritter, D. E. K., and H. Gay. N.p.. Web. 30 Oct 2013. <http://www.sharkinfo.ch/SI4_99e/gcuvier.html>.

. N.p.. Web. 30 Oct 2013. <http://www.sharks-world.com/tiger_shark.html>.

Witherington, D.. N.p.. Web. 30 Oct 2013. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/tiger-shark/>.

N.d. Photograph. n.p. 

Introducing the Bull Shark

The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is aggressive and very dangerous. This common shark is found in shallow coastal waters, and is one of the only sharks that can go inland through the freshwater rivers. These characteristics make it very dangerous to humans, as they tend to like the same water conditions as the sharks. In fact, it is listed as one of the top three that are most likely to attack humans. These predators will eat almost anything including other sharks, fish and even dolphins. But, similar to its relative the great white shark, the bull shark does not seem to want to purposely eat humans. It seems to just be curious, as many people like to swim in its habitat. The bull shark gets its name from its tendency to head-butt their prey before attacking, as well as their eagerness to fight. They also are thought to have gotten their name from their short snout and their short (if 11.5 feet can be considered short:P) bodies. These sharks are not considered endangered, but they are fished for their oils hides and meat. This makes the populations shrink, and studies have found that it also has killed the larger sharks making the average lengths of these sharks smaller. 

Some tips to Avoid getting a bite from one of these aggressive sharks are.

-Don’t swim near the mouth of a river, the sharks like this turbid area.

-Don’t swim in large schools of fish, predators like to stalk these groups.

-Be extra cautious if you go spearfishing.

-Don’t be overly arrogant or show off when dealing with sharks.

Click Here to see a clip of a documentary where a robotic shark is sent into an area where they are feeding the sharks!

Skerry, B.. N.p.. Web. 28 Oct 2013. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/bull-shark/>.

. N.p.. Web. 28 Oct 2013. <http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=83>.

Skerry, B. N.d. Photograph. n.p.