Tiger Shark

0:00:02 > 0:00:06My name's Steve Backshall. Self-confessed shark obsessed.

0:00:06 > 0:00:08This is Shark Bites.

0:00:10 > 0:00:12There's one shark that has a reputation

0:00:12 > 0:00:14for being the most ravenous.

0:00:15 > 0:00:17The tiger shark.

0:00:17 > 0:00:19Often nicknamed the dustbin of the ocean,

0:00:19 > 0:00:24they've been known to swallow tin cans and even car number plates.

0:00:26 > 0:00:29But they're far from just mindless munchers.

0:00:29 > 0:00:33Hunting fast-moving fish and armoured turtles,

0:00:33 > 0:00:35they ambush their prey.

0:00:35 > 0:00:36But in the open ocean,

0:00:36 > 0:00:40how does the tiger shark manage a surprise attack?

0:00:40 > 0:00:43The warm waters of the Bahamas are home to this apex predator.

0:00:46 > 0:00:49A big tiger shark has teeth

0:00:49 > 0:00:52and bite force than can get through the shell of a turtle.

0:00:52 > 0:00:54So, this...

0:00:54 > 0:00:57Well, I think it's more for my peace of mind than anything else.

0:00:59 > 0:01:01Oh, my goodness!

0:01:03 > 0:01:06Well, this is why we came here to Tiger Beach.

0:01:07 > 0:01:10It's a true monster of a tiger shark.

0:01:10 > 0:01:14It's one of the largest purely predatory creatures on Earth.

0:01:14 > 0:01:16While I'm not on their menu,

0:01:16 > 0:01:18it doesn't stop them from being curious.

0:01:18 > 0:01:20And, as sharks don't have hands,

0:01:20 > 0:01:23they'll investigate with their teeth.

0:01:23 > 0:01:24It's going for your fin, Si.

0:01:24 > 0:01:26No, draw in your foot, draw in your foot, seriously.

0:01:26 > 0:01:28Whoa, whoa, whoa, Si, Si, Si!

0:01:32 > 0:01:34This is absolute chaos.

0:01:34 > 0:01:36They may be overly inquisitive,

0:01:36 > 0:01:40but these hungry hunters rely on stealth to catch their prey.

0:01:42 > 0:01:46For a surprise attack, tiger sharks use camouflage,

0:01:46 > 0:01:48known as counter shading.

0:01:48 > 0:01:51In the ocean, light from the sun falls from above, and if you

0:01:51 > 0:01:56see the shark from underneath, its light belly blends in with the sky.

0:01:56 > 0:01:59But if you look down on the shark from above,

0:01:59 > 0:02:03you see its dark upper surface against the sea bed below.

0:02:03 > 0:02:07But tiger sharks also ambush their prey at the surface,

0:02:07 > 0:02:10and that's where their stripy pattern comes in.

0:02:10 > 0:02:12It mimics the movement of light on the water,

0:02:12 > 0:02:15breaking up their outline and allowing them

0:02:15 > 0:02:18to get close enough to their prey to launch an attack.

0:02:22 > 0:02:23Camouflage even allows them

0:02:23 > 0:02:27to hunt wary albatross chicks who are learning to fly.

0:02:28 > 0:02:30Almost hidden in the shallows,

0:02:30 > 0:02:34tiger sharks wait for the perfect moment to strike...

0:02:34 > 0:02:36snatching a feathery supper.

0:02:44 > 0:02:48The tiger shark, driven by its voracious appetite,

0:02:48 > 0:02:51armed with bone-crushing jaws

0:02:51 > 0:02:53and using crafty camouflage...

0:02:54 > 0:02:57This is the most ravenous shark in our seas.