0:00:02 > 0:00:03My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Self-confessed shark obsessed.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08This is Shark Bites.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16This time, we meet an adventurer of the abyss - the oceanic whitetip.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19True to their name, they roam the vast open ocean.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Reaching over 3.5 metres,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26these solitary sharks cruise the deep desolate seas,
0:00:26 > 0:00:31searching for food, diving to depths of 1,000 metres
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and travelling up to 100km each day.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37So in this vast waterworld,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40how do these apex predators even find their food?
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Hawaii's Pacific Ocean coast is where these sharks
0:00:43 > 0:00:45come into their own.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52The oceanic whitetip is a deep sea shark.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It's what's known as a pelagic fish -
0:00:54 > 0:00:56one that sticks to the open ocean.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00They're mostly solitary so incredibly difficult to find.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05But after three days of searching, we're in luck.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06We have a shark!
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Our first oceanic whitetip.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Finding food is tough out here.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16These sharks need to make the most of every opportunity
0:01:16 > 0:01:18so immediately investigate us.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22She seems really interested in the cameras and she's just testing
0:01:22 > 0:01:24them out, seeing if they might be something that's good to eat.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27So if they want to test something, if they want to feel what it's like,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30they have to do it with their teeth and with their snout.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33They're largely solitary but will come together
0:01:33 > 0:01:35if there's a good opportunity to feed.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Two! There's two of them!
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It's a feast or famine existence out here,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45but these ocean explorers have evolved perfectly to
0:01:45 > 0:01:48take on their epic expedition while looking for food.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Earning its name from the distinctive white tips to its fins,
0:01:53 > 0:01:59the oceanic whitetip uses these tools to cross the great oceans.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04The pectoral fins are stiff and rigid, composed of keratin,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06cartilage and muscle.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08They function very much like the wings of a plane,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10preventing the shark from sinking.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13The dorsal fin stabilises the animal,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15preventing it from rolling over onto its back.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17It's almost like the keel on a boat.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22And the tail fin - that's very much the engine room of this predator,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24propelling it forward to catch fast food.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Armed with foolproof fins,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32they even cruise the abyss with bigger predators.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Pilot whales dive over a kilometre deep, catching squid,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39but, waiting in the wings, these savvy sharks can
0:02:39 > 0:02:42pick off their scraps, scavenging their supper.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48The oceanic whitetip - equipped with an inquisitive nature,
0:02:48 > 0:02:53cunning enough to scavenge its prey and armed with fantastic fins.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57This is truly the ultimate adventurer of the abyss.