Shark Tracker

An interesting program run by OCEARCH is the Shark Tracker program. When OCEARCH or companies working with OCEARCH capture a shark, for scientific testing, they attach a GPS tracker to the shark's dorsal fin. When they release the sharks back into the water, they can track where the shark has been and any possible movements, without hindering the sharks swimming and attacking ability. If a shark's dorsal fin is above the water's surface for more than 90 seconds for a ping to occur.

Shark Tracker

OCEARCH tags sharks of many different species and from all over the world. See more at their Shark Tracker Page.

Sharks of the World and History- Bull Shark

The Bull Shark (Carchahinus Leucas) is one of the most formidable sharks in the ocean. 

http://www.sharks-world.com/wp-content/uploads/bull_shark_624.jpg

Bull Sharks are known to eat whatever they can get. This means that they eat fish, dolphins, turtles, birds, molluscs and some terrestrial animals including cattle, people, antelope and rats. They will attack almost anything in the water, but they have something most sharks don't have. They can tolerate incredible levels of freshwater, commonly swimming up rivers and tributaries. They are considered by some to be the most dangerous of all sharks due to the coupling of their habitat, diet and aggression. They are also known to be cannibals!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Cypron-Range_Carcharhinus_leucas.svg/2000px-Cypron-Range_Carcharhinus_leucas.svg.png

Bull Sharks have earned their name with a signature head but they normally perform before eating the prey to stun it. They are also extremely territorial and are known to attack many different species of intruders such as crocodiles and alligators.

https://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e482cb63e00d42c1388752850714a438?convert_to_webp=true

Occasionally though, the Bull Shark takes on more than it can handle and is eaten itself. This Saltwater Crocodile is called Brutus. He is 80 years old and weighs roughly 1 tonne. More than a match for many bull sharks.

When compared with a Great White Shark, a Bull Shark is small, but when comparing bite forces, that of a Bull Shark is far superior, mostly because of the diet a bull shark has, where turtles are a common meal.

Sharks of the World and History- Great White Shark

Thanks for 3,000 page views.

The Great White Shark (Carcharodon Carcharius) is undoubtedly one of the most well known sharks. In our minds, it is the single most deadly killer there is in the ocean. Swimming in deep water is an open invitation to be eaten...

Not really. There are several more dangerous animals present in our oceans such as the box jellyfish or irukandji. Part of the fear of sharks comes from a feeling that we are not in control the moment we enter the water, stemming from the fact that we evolved to live on land, and land is where we are most at home. Film makers have tapped into this fear with movies like Jaws, Sharknado and The Reef along with the recent (Great White) Shark attack on Mick Fanning. But while the film makers are making lots of money, they are presenting an unreal interpretation of sharks.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/great-white-shark

National Geographic states that of 100 worldwide attacks, 1/3 to 1/2 are attributed to Great White Sharks. Most of these attacks are "curiosity" bites. This is because sharks have an spectacular amount of nerves in their teeth. Lacking hands, they need another way to identify if an item is prey or food. This normally entails either head-butting or as mentioned above curiosity biting.

As seen above, the top of the body is a dark grey, while the bottom is a white colour. This is effective camouflage in the ocean, where prey looking down will be unlikely to see it, as it blends into the darker water below them. Any prey looking up underneath the shark will see a white colour, just what they would expect to see, camouflaging it with the light above.

Great Whites feed on many different prey items. They are known to attack:

• Squid
• Whales (Mostly as carrion)
• Seals
• Sea lions
• And more.

They live in temperate waters all over the world, and are particularly tolerant to colder waters due to the fact that they produce heat with a muscle that runs from behind the head to partway along their body, meaning that they are a few degrees warmer than the surrounding water. But this does mean that they require more energy than most sharks.

http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/great-white-shark/

Great White Sharks are incredibly intelligent and uses problem solving to find the most effective ways of hunting. Great White Sharks in South Africa have started to jump out of the water underneath sea lions, effectively stunning the more mobile prey. 

http://www.grindtv.com/wildlife/seals-balancing-act-enables-it-to-escape-great-white-sharks-jaws/#cUmsAJYsYaAwijx1.97

This seal appears to be balancing on the Great White's jaws. But, it is likely that the Great White got the unfortunate seal in the end.

Sharks of the World and History

On Saturday I will be posting the first of a series of new articles titled- Sharks of the World and History. They will explore sharks, both past and present along with other shark like creatures. I will (attempt to) continue to post these articles every Saturday. Stay tuned!

As a side note we are nearing 3000 pageviews. Thank you for the support.