Quick Take
- A routine fishing trip for snapper turned into something no one on the boat could have prepared for, and the footage is there to prove it.
- Tiger sharks are giants, and where they actually spend most of their time will surprise you. See their habitat →
- Their teeth do something most sharks can't, which changes what they're able to hunt entirely. See how their teeth help →
- These sharks can live far longer than scientists once believed, though size tells only half the story. See size and lifespan →
This fishing trip in the Bahamas yielded a bit more than the fishermen were expecting! They were fishing out of the Old Bahama Bay Resort and started by deep-dropping squid and barracuda bait. They were in 600 feet of water and were aiming to catch a yellow-eyed snapper. This turned out to be very successful. They then needed to get to another location to fish the outgoing tide for wahoo.
The seas were getting rougher, so they abandoned that plan and headed a little more inland to bottom fish. Using barracuda bait, they caught a reef shark and then something much bigger turned up! It was a 1,000-pound tiger shark. They cut this absolute monster free and let it swim back into the depths of the ocean.
Where Do Tiger Sharks Normally Live?
Tiger sharks prefer shallow coastal waters.
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Tiger sharks, also called leopard sharks, are found widely in subtropical and tropical waters. Most of their habitats are from 45 degrees north to 32 degrees south. The sharks have been spotted from the eastern coast of North America to the eastern coast of Brazil. There are also tiger shark populations off the coast of China, Africa, India, and Japan. They are also found around many islands of the Pacific Ocean.
As an ocean shark, these guys live in saltwater. They have a preference for seagrass ecosystems and coastal areas but can be found elsewhere if there is plenty of prey available. They spend approximately 36% of their time in shallow coastal habitats. However, they can be found several miles out to sea but stick to the shallower waters. There are isolated reports of them being found in river estuaries and harbors. They are listed by the IUCN as near threatened.
How Big Do Tiger Sharks Normally Get?
The shark in the clip below is pretty big! They are one of the largest carnivores in the ocean. Adult sharks can reach anything from 10.5 feet to around 18 feet in length. They can weigh up to 1,900 pounds. Males are generally smaller than the females. They reach adulthood at anything between six to eight years of age. Their average lifespan is around 27 years although some have lived as long as 50 years.
What Do Tiger Sharks Normally Eat?
Tiger sharks are superb hunters and rely on electromagnetic receptors to locate their prey. They hunt mollusks, snakes, birds, crustaceans, and sea turtles. They can crack open the sea turtle shells because they have such strong serrated teeth!
