I first have to make an apology to my fellow avid shark lovers. Due to a time constraint, I unfortunately will have to skip shark #3 on the countdown. Shark #3 was the whale shark. Because it’s the biggest fish in ocean, I regret not being able to tell you guys more about the whale shark. I decided to skip the whale shark because it is another carpet shark on the countdown. It shares various similarities with the zebra shark already mentioned on the countdown. If you guys are truly interested in my blog, please go to National Geographic’s website, look up for the whale shark, and give them some love.

Life goes on though so…Who is the Shark of the Week!?!?!?

The Tiger Shark!!!

The Facts:

This is the fourth largest shark species. The tiger shark can grow up to be between 14-20 feet and weigh more than 1,900 pounds. These sharks have serrated teeth and powerful jaws that allow them to crack the shells of sea turtles, one of their favorite foods. Interestingly, these sharks  are fondly referred to as the “wastebaskets of the ocean”. Why? Well, these sharks will eat just about anything. In the stomach of tiger sharks you can most likely find sea turtles, stingrays, sea snakes, sea birds, squids, seals, and even license plates and old tires.

Tiger sharks are considered to be scavengers who are not in the least bit picky of what they eat. This combined with the fact that they can be found in tropical and sub-tropical waters makes them extremely dangerous to humans. Tiger sharks are known to be one of the top three shark species who attack humans the most. If you see one in the water and you’re not in a shark cage, get out.

One of the most unique features of the tiger shark is their stripes, which is where they got their name. Strangely, their dark, vertical stripes are the most bold on juveniles. As they grow older their stripes get fainter and fainter until they just about disappear. Each tiger shark’s stripes are different in regards to color, design, and size. The stripes help them to camouflage themselves when they go out hunting at night.

Why did the tiger shark make #2 on the countdown?

Many years ago, I watched a documentary on tiger sharks during Shark Week. In this particular documentary, a diver went to free dive (no shark cage) with tiger sharks. I initially thought something was going to go wrong; one man swimming with at least two tiger sharks equaled a disaster. Surprisingly though, he was perfectly fine. And even shockingly, he made this weird, rare connection with one of the tiger sharks. He explained this connection as a feeling akin to what you would feel with a dog. He ended up naming this tiger shark Dolores and the shark even let him ride on her dorsal fin, like what dolphins do. Whenever he would go back to dive in that particular part of the ocean Dolores would recognize him and they would swim the afternoon away together. Crazy, right? To me, this was unarguable proof that even the so called “man-eaters” weren’t all that horrible and dangerous as the media would like us to believe.

This is for you Dolores. Congratulations on being #2 on the Top Ten Shark Countdown!