Page 254 - Melanesia

rey Reef Shark. Adult size: maximum because of its large dorsal fins of the same
G 8.to 20 feet. It is distinguished by its
perfectly grey skin, white belly and its black reef, given its size and weight. Reacts ac-
edged caudal fin. This shark has a lively and
bold behavioral pattern 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
respected. Schools of a few hundred speci-
mens are seen during the day in the Tua-
motu 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
and sea snakes to dolphins and even other
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
tively to stimuli during a dive and is consid-
ered 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
T iger Shark - The tiger shark is a relative-
ly large macropredator, capable of at-
taining a length over 5 m (16 ft). It is found
in many tropical and temperate waters,
and it is especially common 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,
smaller sharks. The tiger shark has been
known to eat inedible 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 of-
ten avoid regions inhabited by tiger sharks.
The tiger shark is responsible for a large
percentage 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 wa-
ter. 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.