The tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, is one of the requiem sharks, known as formidable predators with very powerful jaws and teeth as sharp as blades. It is the second largest predatory shark after the great white, with a length of over 5 m and a weight of around 900 kg.
Tiger sharks are found throughout the world in warm-water marine environments, particularly in the central Pacific islands, North America, the Bahamas, Fiji, Mexico, South Africa and also in the Maldives. On Fuvahmulah, an isolated island in the southern Madives, with a very specific current pattern around the atoll that creates the perfect environment for tiger sharks and many other pelagic fish, we have an estimated population of 500 tiger sharks, living peacefully.
Its dark stripes fade as the shark matures
It is only the young specimens that show the characteristic dark stripes and spots, perhaps to better camouflage themselves in the shadows of the waves. With maturity, the stripes fade and the skin takes on a dark blue-green or grey colour above and a light belly.
Its body is boneless
Like all sharks, its skeleton consists of cartilage.
It hunts by detecting the electrical fields of prey animals.
The tiger shark has small pits on its snout that contain a network of sensory organs called Lorenzini’s ampullae. These organs detect electric fields, even the weakest.
It really eats everything!
It feeds on marine animals such as manta rays, squid, turtles, crabs, rays, dolphins, seals, seabirds and even other sharks.
It is also known to feed on land animals, such as dogs, cats and rats, horses, goats, sheep, birds.
It also feeds on inedible man-made objects left in the ocean that are not digested in its stomach.
Its jaws have a unique shape and teeth
All sharks have a rounded jaw, whereas the tiger shark has a square one.
It has very sharp, saw-like denticles on all its teeth, allowing it to slice its prey, even cutting through the hard shells of turtles. In the course of its life new teeth replace worn-out ones. Its razor-sharp teeth are virtually identical in both the upper and lower jaws, unlike most predatory sharks that have fewer sharp teeth in the lower jaw. Its teeth can shear through flesh and bone.
When belly-up it can go into a trance-like state
If it is turned on its stomach it becomes temporarily immobile and enters a kind of hypnosis in less than a minute and can remain there for up to 15 minutes, allowing scientists to implant a tracking device in its body and collect information.
Sacred in Hawaiian mythology
Popular in the Pacific Ocean, in traditional Hawaiian culture the tiger shark is considered a sacred spirit, believed to be the reincarnation of a deceased family member.
It is the only ovoviviparous shark species, which gives birth to live young after hatching fertile eggs inside its body.
A pregnant female tiger shark lays between 10 and 80 fertilised eggs inside her body; each egg contains an embryo that feeds on its own yolk and hatches inside the mother’s body after a total gestation period of 13 to 16 months, giving birth to fully developed, live young.
At risk of extinction
Man is drastically reducing the population of tiger sharks by killing them for its skin to produce real leather, for its fins, edible meat and vitamin A-rich liver oil, which is used to make supplements.
Not sure how many times we did the Tiger shark 🦈 dive , is ALWAYS , so exciting !
There is something incredible in being down here , surrounded by these majestic creatures 🦈🦈
Our mission @fuvahmulahdivepoint is to encourage people to learn more about sharks , to don’t be afraid of them , to be excited to dive with them & curious to know more about their behaviors !
We can only protect what we Love 🙏🏼
🎥 @alexandrannedea
📍 @fuvahmulahdivepoint @maathundi
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#sharkove #enossystem #divesafe #sunnysideoflife #maldives #indianocean #fuvahmulah #divepointmaldives #divewithfriends #scubaaddict #opensea #Malediwy #Nurkowanie #Bezpiecznenuki #Bezpieczne #Wycieczkanurkowa
🦈Tiger sharks typically cruise at a relaxed pace of 3-5 km/h. This allows them to conserve energy while searching large areas for food.
At this speed, tiger sharks swim about 1.5-2 body lengths per second. This pace is comparable to a slow jog for a human.
Cruising speed provides tiger sharks the stamina to migrate long distances up to thousands of miles.
When attacking prey or migrating, tiger sharks can reach top speeds of around 32 km/h.
This maximum speed is around 5 times faster than their typical cruising speed, is faster than an Olympic swimmer and similar to an athletic human’s running speed.
Short bursts at top speed allow tiger sharks to pursue fast-moving prey like tuna, seals, and sea turtles.
Have you ever seen them in action ? 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈
📍 @fuvahmulahdivepoint
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#sharks #speed #hunting #sharkscience #sharkdiving #sharklover #Rekin #Żarłacztygrysi #zarlach #Pelagiczny #Miłośnikrekinów #fuvahmulah
Even for us who dive here in Fuvahmulah every day, these face-to-face dives with tiger sharks are always amazing, unique and different from each other.
🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈
One thing should never be missing when diving, RESPECT ! For the ocean and it’s infinite power and for all the creatures that inhabit them.
When one combines RESPECT with GRATITUDE, will probably experience the best time of it’s life .
Are you with us ?
📍Fuvahmulah
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#sharkconservation #respect #lordofthesea #tigershark #pelagicworldwide #divepointmaldives #diveoftheweek
Embedded hooks 🪝 can restrict eating abilities and may cause internal damage to organs, poisoning or infection. During our daily dives , we often meet tiger sharks accidentally hooked by long line fisheries targeting tuna and swordfish.
Even sharks do not have the same nervous system as mammals but what we do have in common are neurons called nociceptors, so the hook 🪝 is not a nice experience at all .
@fuvahmulahdivepoint @divepointmaldives we are currently training to learn properly how to safely remove the hook without injuring the shark or put ourself in danger ⛔️
Our goal is not only to provide amazing & unforgettable dives but also to support the marine life in any possible way 🫶🏼🦈💪🏼
🎥 @macciofilmssharks
@natgeowild @natgeo @bbcwildlifemagazine
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#tigershark #tigersharks #hooks #fuvahmulah #indianocean #maldiviansharks #sharksprotection🦈 #sharkslife #protectwhatyoulove #fuvahmulahmaldives #fuvahmulah🇲🇻 #ecologyprogram #sharksecology #deepsea #beyondthesurface #divepointmaldives #divewithfriends #scubahero
Meet Emma 🦈 one of our resident tiger shark , we see here every day 🙏🏼🇲🇻💪🏼 @fuvahmulahdivepoint
Tiger sharks are named for those distinct vertical bars that run down their bodies, which replicate a tiger’s stripes. Juvenile tiger sharks have dark spots and stripes, which fade as they progress into adulthood. Even though they may fade with age, a tiger shark never loses its stripes 🐯
Have you ever saw these stripes so close ? 🦈🦈🦈
Info@divepoint-maldives.con
🎥 @anott3y
@fuvahmulahdivepoint @maathundi @discoversharks @natgeo
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#tigershark #tigersgarkstripes #tigerhai #squalotigre #tigre #squalotigremaldive #fuvahmulah #fuvahmulahmaldives #senzafiato #breathless #Tiburóntigre #tiburón #Requintigre #タイガーシャーク
Tiger Sharks are what scientists call a ‘keystone species’. This means that they are responsible for keeping the intricate ocean ecosystem in balance. As apex predators tiger sharks keep everything below them in harmony. They do this by keeping the predatory species that they prey on at a healthy but balanced number.
Info@divepoint-maldives.com
🎥 @xtra_salty_diver
📍Divepoint Fuvahmulah
@maathundi @sotto.la.superficie @myfuvahmulahmv @discoversharks @natgeo
@ssi_international
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#apexpredator #tigershark #tigersharkdiving #fuvahmulah #fuvahmulahmaldives #fuvahmulahwonders #tigerhai #squalotigre #subacquea #advancedopenwater #wearessi #scubaholiday #bottomtime #jawsome #scubalife #downunder #ecosystems
TIGER SHARKS 🦈 ADDICTED 🦈🦈🦈
This is truly what we are @fuvahmulahdivepoint
We got spoiled with the fact that in every single dive we meet this incredible creatures 🙏🏼
What we try to share with all our heart ❤️ while teaching and diving is to love & respect this creatures. They are not animals to be afraid of , but to be respected & always approached on the right way .
During your dive & stay with us you will have the chance to di many dives with the tigers sharks as many others pelagic , you will come home enriched of knowledge & appreciation 🦈 we can promise you that 🙌🏼
🎥 @xtra_salty_diver
📍Divepoint Fuvahmulah
@maathundi @natgeo @ssi_international @discoversharks
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#tigerevolution #sharksdiscovery #sharkscience #deepdown #fuvahmulah #fuvahmulahmaldives #loveandrespect #tigersharks #fuvahmulahtigersharkdive #everydivei̇samemory #divetothefuture #divinglife #nofear
Young stars are growing 🦈🦈🙌🏼
The whole year we are surrounded by hundreds tiger sharks 🦈🦈🦈 @fuvahmulahdivepoint
We probably have the biggest community of tiger sharks in the world 🌍 & we are able to offer to our divers a true life time experience 🦈💪🏼🦈
About 50 minutes, sitting on the sandy bottom at the maximum depth of 10 minutes, watching something like a National Geographic Episode just in front of your eyes.👀
Tigers are approaching you with curiosity , you feel safe with your experience guides who shared with you all what you need to know previously during the briefing 🤙🏼😉
All what you have to do is relax and enjoy , taking pictures & trusting your eyes & your heart ❤️ this is all real 🦈🙏🏼🇲🇻
@fuvahmulahdivepoint @divepointmaldives
Booking:
Info@divepoint-maldives.com
🎥 @maathundi
@divepointmaldives @fuvahmulahdivepoint
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#realdive #divepointmaldives #divepointfuvahmulah #scubadiving #divewithfriends #sharkdive #reefshark #sharkday #sharkeez #wildlifephotography #sharkselfie #tigerlily #tigerzindahai #sharkdiver #sharktooth #tigerstreetracing #tigerbeach #boatdiving #wilddiving #divesafe #divenjoy #happydivers #adduatoll #deepdive #scubajunkies #scubaaddict #divesafe #lovescubadiving
‼️‼️Warning ⚠️ if you do it once , you want to do it again & again 🦈🦈🦈🦈
🦈Diving with tiger sharks is getting an addiction when you feel so safe , they are so close , you have a well equipped boat waiting for you , the 🔝 crew , the most experienced instructors 🙌🏼
🦈The good news is than you can do it everyday here @fuvahmulahdivepoint , tiger sharks 🦈 & pelagic big stuff will be there waiting for us , we just need to jump 🤙🏼
🎥 @anott3y
@fuvahmulahdivepoint @discoversharks @divepointmaldives @ssi_international @natgeowild @doodive_official
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#justjump #divingaddicts #scubalife #tigersharks #tigerfever #scubajunkies #adrenaline #divingtrip #pelagiclife #fuvahmulah #fuvahmulahmaldives #Pelagisch #ทะเล #divepointfuvahmulah
