Tiger Shark Shark Bites

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

This is Shark Bites.

There's one shark that has a reputation

for being the most ravenous.

The tiger shark.

Often nicknamed the dustbin of the ocean,

they've been known to swallow tin cans and even car number plates.

But they're far from just mindless munchers.

Hunting fast-moving fish and armoured turtles,

they ambush their prey.

But in the open ocean,

how does the tiger shark manage a surprise attack?

The warm waters of the Bahamas are home to this apex predator.

A big tiger shark has teeth

and bite force than can get through the shell of a turtle.

So, this...

Well, I think it's more for my peace of mind than anything else.

Oh, my goodness!

Well, this is why we came here to Tiger Beach.

It's a true monster of a tiger shark.

It's one of the largest purely predatory creatures on Earth.

While I'm not on their menu,

it doesn't stop them from being curious.

And, as sharks don't have hands,

they'll investigate with their teeth.

It's going for your fin, Si.

No, draw in your foot, draw in your foot, seriously.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Si, Si, Si!

This is absolute chaos.

They may be overly inquisitive,

but these hungry hunters rely on stealth to catch their prey.

For a surprise attack, tiger sharks use camouflage,

known as counter shading.

In the ocean, light from the sun falls from above, and if you

see the shark from underneath, its light belly blends in with the sky.

But if you look down on the shark from above,

you see its dark upper surface against the sea bed below.

But tiger sharks also ambush their prey at the surface,

and that's where their stripy pattern comes in.

It mimics the movement of light on the water,

breaking up their outline and allowing them

to get close enough to their prey to launch an attack.

Camouflage even allows them

to hunt wary albatross chicks who are learning to fly.

Almost hidden in the shallows,

tiger sharks wait for the perfect moment to strike...

snatching a feathery supper.

The tiger shark, driven by its voracious appetite,

armed with bone-crushing jaws

and using crafty camouflage...

This is the most ravenous shark in our seas.