Shark Behaviour

It’s easy to think of sharks only as the fearless killers portrayed in the media. But it seems that even these fearless apex predators are sometimes…afraid. Sharks may avoid loud noises and bright colors, which can signal danger or disrupt the dark environment they’re used to. They may also avoid certain foods if they associate … Read more

Sharks have been evolving for millions of years and, in that time, have perfected the art of predation. However, there are hundreds of different species of shark, each of which has its own hunting techniques and strategies.  Some sharks, like the whale shark, eat tiny organisms known as plankton, which requires a very different hunting … Read more

Sharks have a different approach to reproduction than most fish species. Instead of releasing eggs and sperm into the water in an act of external fertilization, sharks go to great lengths to perform internal fertilization.  This isn’t a particularly easy feat when you’re swimming in the sea, but sharks have developed effective ways of overcoming … Read more

The basking shark is the second biggest shark in the world, with the largest specimen ever recorded measuring an impressively large 12.27 meters (40.3 feet) long. They also possess a jaw that can open up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in width. That sounds pretty dangerous, right? Wrong! In terms of ever attacking, … Read more

Whale sharks can grow to 60 feet long and have mouths easily big enough to swallow a human. Far from being vicious predators, however, whale sharks are gentle giants that drift around the ocean feeding on microscopic prey and the occasional fish.   What do Whale Sharks Eat? Whale sharks live on a diet of tiny … Read more

We tend to think of sharks as vicious carnivores that will take a bite out of anything that comes their way, but that’s not an accurate representation of these diverse species.  Some sharks are scavengers that satisfy their nutritional requirements by munching on decomposing carcasses. Others restrict themselves to tiny organisms no bigger than your … Read more

When we think of sharks, our minds almost always drift towards visions of gaping mouths full of sharp teeth that erupt from the water at high speed.  In our minds, there is nothing larger nor more terrifying than a great white shark, but much of that is a myth.  The great white’s notoriety is largely … Read more

There are two types of blacktip sharks, both relatively timid species that seldom pose a serious threat to humans.  The blacktip reef shark, or Carcharhinus melanopterus, prefers shallow water and is commonly seen around tropical coral reefs in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.  The blacktip shark, also known as the Carcharhinus limbatus, frequents coastal tropical and … Read more

Nobody likes a freeloader, and if you’ve ever seen a shark cruising majestically in the ocean, you may have noticed one or more strange-looking fish getting what looks like a freeride. However, before you rush to judgment on the fish hanging off the shark’s belly, let’s look at the remoras and shark’s relationship and see … Read more