Thresher Shark Shark Bites

My name's Steve Backshall. Self-confessed shark-obsessed.

This is Shark Bites.

This time, we meet the most striking shark of all...

..the thresher shark.

They're instantly recognisable,

with their elegant long tail.

Artful assassins with

a lightning-quick whip.

Reaching up to 6m in length, they come armed with

a scythe-like tail that can be as long as their body,

packed with powerful muscle that extends right to the tip.

To an unsuspecting fish, it's a lethal weapon.

But why would these secretive sharks need such a striking tail?

The deep waters off the Philippines are the perfect place to find them.

Timing now is absolutely everything.

This is the only time when it's going to be up here at our level

and we stand a chance of seeing them.

We head for the edge of the deep water,

a sea stack reef where thresher sharks have been spotted before.

And it's not long before a strange shape emerges from the dark.

Coming towards us!

Oh, my! It's a thresher shark.

This is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

They're instantly recognisable with their long, elegant tail.

And it's this that enables them to be a predator of precision.

Look at the size of that tail! That is just insane.

They're the only sharks to use their tail as a primary hunting tool.

But how does it help them pick off their prey?

Thresher sharks feed on small, fast fish.

But rather than chase them down, it corrals them

the same way a cowboy would with his cattle.

When small fish feel intimated,

they instinctively come together in a tight group known as a bait ball,

and that's where the thresher shark's long tail comes in.

It whips it over its head in about a third of a second,

lashing out at the bait ball at about 30mph.

This makes physical contact with the fish,

but also creates a pressure wave that stuns them,

making them easy pickings for the thresher.

And with its prey cornered, the thresher shark moves in...

..unleashing its killer tail...

..helping it to devour its stunned supper with ease.

The thresher shark.

With a tail as long as its body, it corrals its victims

before whipping them with a lightning-fast strike.

It is, without doubt, the most striking shark of all.