Page 586 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

rey Reef Shark. Adult size: maximum 8.to 20 feet. It is distin-
G guished by its perfectly grey skin, white belly and its black
edged caudal fin. This shark has a lively and bold behavioral pat-
tern notably observed in the presence of stimuli. The Grey shark
is described to have the vivacity of the Black tip and the strength
of the Lemon shark. For this reason it is both feared and re-
spected. Schools of a few hundred specimens are seen during the
day in the Tuamotu Archipelago. However, they split up at night,
the period in which they are most active. Somewhat curious, this
shark will not hesitate to curiously approach divers a few feet away
only to scurry away shortly thereafter. They usually are found in
the northern coast of Moorea at Tiki point, with the peculiarity of
only female sittings. They are also found mostly in the vicinity of
the reef walls and outside in the passes, from the surface to 100
meters in depth.
L emon Shark - Size: Maximum 11.5 feet. The Lemon shark has
a massive body of a yellowish brown color, easy to recognize
because of its large dorsal fins of the same size, its visible set
of smooth, sharp teeth and its little yellow eye in the form of a
lemon, hence its name. It is the lord of the reef, given its size and
weight. Reacts actively to stimuli during a dive and is considered
to be one of the most imposing figures one can come across at
the dive sites. It is often found resting on the bottom, close to the
coast from the surface down to a depth of 90 meters. It is an active
hunter of fish, shellfish, sea birds and small rays
iger Shark - The tiger shark is a relatively large macropreda-
T tor, capable of attaining a length over 5 m (16 ft). It is found
in many tropical and temperate waters, and it is especially com-
mon around central Pacific islands. Its name derives from the dark
stripes down its body which resemble a tiger’s pattern, which fade
as the shark matures. The tiger shark is a solitary, mostly nocturnal
hunter, and is notable for having the widest food spectrum of all
sharks, consuming a variety of prey ranging from crustaceans, fish,
seals, birds, squid, turtles, and sea snakes to dolphins and even
other smaller sharks. The tiger shark has been known to eat ined-
ible manmade objects that linger in its stomach, and it has a repu-
tation as a “garbage eater”. The tiger shark is considered a near
threatened species due to finning and fishing by humans. The tiger
shark ranks in size only behind the whale shark, the basking shark,
the great white shark, and the great hammerhead. Due to high
risk of predatory attacks, dolphins often avoid regions inhabited
by tiger sharks. The tiger shark is responsible for a large percent-
age of fatal attacks and is regarded as one of the most dangerous
shark species. They often visit shallow reefs, harbors, and canals,
creating the potential for encounter with humans. The tiger shark
also dwells in river mouths and other runoff-rich water. While the
tiger shark is considered to be one of the sharks most dangerous
to humans, its attack rate is low. The tiger is second on the list of
number of recorded attacks on humans, with the great white shark
being first.