0:00:00 > 0:00:02My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:02 > 0:00:06Self-confessed shark-obsessed.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08This is Shark Bites.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14This time we meet the master of moves -
0:00:14 > 0:00:16the Caribbean reef shark.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19With lightning-fast reaction times,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23this stocky shark is the rugby player of the reef,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and one of the most flexible fish in our seas.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31As its name suggests, the Caribbean reef shark
0:00:31 > 0:00:35likes to hang out in shallow waters around coral reefs.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And measuring up to three metres in length,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43they're one of the largest predators in this tropical territory.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47But how and why is this shark so brilliantly bendy?
0:00:47 > 0:00:48The Bahamas in the Caribbean
0:00:48 > 0:00:52is the perfect place to see this shark up close.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03As far as I can see,
0:01:03 > 0:01:08I've got three big Caribbean reef sharks already coming in very close.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10They don't seem too frightened of me.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Absolutely magnificent creatures.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20You can see how fearless they are. Already three of them have just
0:01:20 > 0:01:23swum straight into the lens of the camera.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25I mean, if I wasn't pushing them off with this,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27they'd probably be swimming into me.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32We've got six now!
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Six big Caribbean reef sharks.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40The thing that really sets the Caribbean reef shark apart
0:01:40 > 0:01:42is its manoeuvrability.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46It can snap almost back on itself with its head,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and snatch bait that's right next to the side of it.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55The stocky and streamlined Caribbean reef shark
0:01:55 > 0:01:59is packed with muscle and a skeleton.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02But unlike most skeletons that are made of hard, dense,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07heavy bone, all sharks have a skeleton that's made of cartilage.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Like bone, this provides support, but it's much, much lighter,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15softer, and more elastic.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20This cartilage is the same flexible tissue that we have in our ears,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24and it allows sharks to move and turn with lightning speed.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And in the case of the Caribbean reef shark,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31it allows it to turn right around so its nose can touch its tail tip.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Which is an essential skill when chasing their super speedy,
0:02:37 > 0:02:38supple prey,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41or just trying to avoid a shark scrum.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44That was too close!
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Way too close!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50The Caribbean reef shark, with its lightning-fast reactions,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54its tactical tenacity, and its super supple skeleton,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58this is the master of moves.