Tiger Shark Deadly 60 Bites

On Deadly 60, I've had loads of incredible animal encounters.

Here's just one of my many favourites.

This is Deadly 60 Bites.

This time on Deadly 60, we're in the Bahamas -

here - and we're looking for one very special kind of animal.

Sharks!

So without further ado, my crew and I start our mission.

We're trying to find one of the most famous marine predators of all -

tiger sharks.

These huge predators prefer to live off-shore and in deep water.

One way Doc can study them in this area is to bait long lines

right down to the sea bed, hundreds of metres below and

check them every few hours.

We got something!

We got a small tiger shark.

OK, so the first thing we need to do is to bring the tiger alongside

and then the Doc, here, has certain tests he needs to do on it.

Take some blood, get the length and the approximate weight of it.

Wow.

This information is crucial to help Doc's team find out

as much as possible about these secretive animals.

I know this looks really stressful for the shark,

but they are such tough creatures.

It's really important that we minimise the amount of time that

we have this shark kept like this.

Now, all we really need to do is just to tag it,

so we can identify the individual, and then let it go.

OK, there you go.

Now we need to let this wonderful creature go.

But in order to get it to get moving again,

I'm gonna need to get in the water with it

and help it start swimming.

The shark's groggy form lack of oxygen,

so it's important that someone swims alongside,

keeping its head into the current,

forcing water into its gills until it's moving strongly.

Today, that's gonna be my job.

It's gonna be OK. It's gonna be fine.

That was amazing.

We were just pulling up the rest of the line,

fully expecting there not to be anything else on it,

and we've had a real surprise.

This big animal is a tiger shark.

And the most amazing thing about it is, despite the fact that

it's absolutely huge, it's a male!

Usually, the really big animals are the females.

This monster shark is an old friend

and has already been tagged by Doc and his team.

This is great news for their research

and means we don't need to measure him again.

That might just be the coolest thing I've ever seen.

Seeing that incredible prehistoric creature just

heading off into the big blue.

Just really... Wow.

I don't know what to say.

I got up this morning and there were absolutely no sharks around at all.

And all of a sudden, one dark shape just appeared close to the boat.

We're pretty sure it's a tiger shark.

So we're gonna get in the water and see if we can get it to come close.

There's just a few tantalising shapes just out here,

probably 15 metres behind the boat.

The only way we can really know for sure

is to get in and get a good look.

Look at the size of it!

Right, before I jump in, I just want to show you what tigers can do

when they push the nasty button.

Tigers can vary their hunting strategy to whatever is available.

Even sea birds aren't safe.

There's not much that's subtle about their table manners.

Imagine carving a Sunday roast with a chainsaw

and you get the idea.

Right, chaps.

As we get into the water,

the dark shapes move further away from the boat.

While the dive team get down on to the bottom,

it's crucial that the surface team keep the bait coming in

to try and bring the shy tigers back and hopefully keep them interested.

I reckon that barracuda head could feed me for a week!

Oh! Oh, look! That's a seriously big tiger coming in.

A huge female!

I bet that was the big shape we saw from the deck before.

It's coming... She's coming right in, right up to Simon!

I reckon she could swallow him in one go!

She's like a swimming bus!

I can't believe it! She's swimming right between us!

Here we go.

Now we're going to see her in action.

Look at that!

That is awesome.

Those guys on top better be ready for the pull.

I reckon she weighs, what, quarter of a tonne?

I hope I don't get any closer than this.

To be honest, she's being gentle.

Those teeth can go straight through a turtle's shell.

She's kind of more playing with it like a big puppy dog.

That was unbelievable!

Whoo-hoo!

Well...all my years diving with sharks

and they still have the power to surprise me.

Even that huge bulldog of a female tiger

was just nosing cautiously between Simon the cameraman and I.

It was almost like she was being polite

and she didn't want to grab the bite, didn't want to jump the queue.

For all that, though, the tiger shark has to be on the Deadly 60.

They're big, they're powerful, they have enormous can-opener teeth,

and they're one of the wonders of the ocean.

That was incredible.

You could argue that tiger sharks deserve the "deadly" tag

more than any other shark,

because they hunt so many things -

turtles, fish, seabirds, mammals.

Certainly not me though!

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