DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA FEB 2025 ISSUE 410

Sharks display a perfection in design and excellent health in the wild.

will quickly work out that you are lost and one might attack. They are far more likely to dispatch a lost sailor. Besides, they are larger and far more powerful than the puny little Grey Reef Sharks. However, that reality is that while the Silver Tip Whaler is prevaricating and getting over its reticence, some other shark such as an Oceanic White Tip Shark would have come in and taken first place amd give you all of their undivided attention. When you swim with sharks up close, you get wonderful insights into their behaviour and their personality. They are extremely alert, very intelligent and have the most beautiful hydrodynamic shape, brilliantly suited to their life in the wild ocean. The Silver Tip Whaler for me is the pinnacle of classic shark beauty. Their sleek streamlined shape is perfection in design. I cannot help but to admire the superb lines and functionality of this, the ultimate marine machine. These little anecdotes serve to illustrate that you can learn about the personalities of sharks and even gain insights into their private lives. This includes the relationship between mother and baby and how they like dinner served. In particular, how they can acclimatise to humans and learn to accept them into their world.

More info on Silver Tip Whalers Carcharinus albimarginatus , the Silver Tip Whaler shark can grow to almost three metres. Mostly, they are seen at just over two metres. They are much more powerful, larger and more aggressive and larger than Grey Reef sharks. If they come to a shark feed they will dominate the Grey reefies with ease. However, in a major shark feed such as the Bega Lagoon shark feed, you get to see a strict pecking order in the world of sharks. It is as clear as day. The most dominant is the Tiger shark . Bull sharks defer to Tigers by slinking to the sea floor and disappearing as quick as they can. Nurse sharks seem to be ignored by both Tiger sharks and the Bull sharks. Both feed at the deep dive section. Part two is much shallower. Bull sharks dominate, followed by Silver tip sharks, Grey reef sharks and way up close to the surface at the top of the reef, Black Tip Reef Sharks. It is a very well ordered pecking order. Silver Tip Sharks are territorial, rarely straying more than seven kilometres and mostly within two kilometres after tagging. They are distributed across the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans.They are considered dangerous. Silver Tips have an inter-dorsal ridge, large eyes, a large uplobe on the tail and often a bronze colouration on the dorsal surface.They are vivaporous and have a yolk sac placenta. They give birth to one to eleven pups up to 80 cms in length.

There are more shark photos on my web site. www.mikescotlandscuba.com/sharks.html.

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DIVE LOG Australasia #410 - February‘25

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