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SHARKS THAT LIVE IN THE BAHAMAS by Brooke Fanson

Bahamas sharks

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A presentation on the types of sharks in the Bhamas

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Page 1: Bahamas sharks

SHARKS THAT LIVE IN THE BAHAMAS

by Brooke Fanson

Page 2: Bahamas sharks

What Types of shark live in the Bahamas

Type of shark: Latin name: Great hammerhead - Sphyrna mokarran Tiger shark- Geleocerdo cuvier Caribbean reef shark - Carcharhinus perezi Bull shark - Carcharhinus leucas Nurse shark - Ginglymostoma cirratum Lemon shark - Negaprion brevirostris Black tip reef shark - Carcharhinus limbatus Oceanic White tip shark - Carcharhinus

longimanus Silky shark - Carcharhinus falsiformis

Page 3: Bahamas sharks

Great hammerhead shark

A very large hammerhead, unlike the smaller bonnet head and scalloped hammerhead, this magnificent and powerful predator can reach lengths of up to 18 feet. They can be found from shallow waters to the open ocean. They feed on a variety of bony fish, small sharks but have a distinct liking for stingrays. Some sharks have been found with several stingray barbs in their mouth. This species seems to be a solitary animal, rarely seen with another, although we are fortunate to have seen as many as five at one time. Besides their size, the way to tell a great hammerhead from any other hammerhead is it's extremely large sickle-shaped dorsal fin. There is no mistaking it . They have been seen with dorsal fins in excess of three feet in height. These are some of the most beautiful, prehistoric sharks in the ocean and one is privileged to see them.

It is not uncommon to see great hammerheads swimming across the sand or reef

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Tiger Shark

This shark obviously gets its common name from the stripes on its side. The spots and lines they have when they are young, turn into stripes when they get older. When they get over 12 feet

however, the stripes tend to fade on some animals, but there is still no mistaking this large, bulky predator. It has a massive head,

blunt snout and large dark eyes. It also has a very large mouth and in females, their entire body can be so large and bulky they

almost always look pregnant. These sharks are global, found almost everywhere. We have seen these sharks in deep and very shallow water during all hours of the day. Its diet is probably the

most varied of all sharks, eating anything from bony fishes, turtles, birds, and crustaceans to garbage. Generally they are

quite timid around divers, staying off in the distance only coming in when he or she has had time to get comfortable with a

situation. These sharks are not uncommon to be seen on some of the reefs in the Bahamas just swimming by and can be seen

cruising the shallow waters of the Little Bahamas Bank.

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Caribbean Reef Shark

The Caribbean reef shark is the shark most people envision when you say the word shark. In the Bahamas there are several areas where you can see these sharks. Our West End/Little Bahamas Bank trips have several sites where you can swim with these sharks, but almost any area of the Bahamas will be home to the Caribbean Reef Shark.

A common shark found in healthy reef environments that can sometimes be found offshore. It can grow to about 9 feet but usually averages in lengths of 4-6 feet. It is found throughout the Caribbean including Florida and the Gulf of Mexico . These sharks eat a variety of bony fishes. They are powerful and impressive predators that make up the majority of most organized shark dives.

They are easy to identify, with their round, blunt snout. Their bodies can vary from slender to heavy set depending on size and body colour ranges from pale to middle gray with white underbellies. They are smooth, sleek sharks that are amazingly agile and beautiful to watch. You can see this shark year round.

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Bull shark

Thought to be extremely aggressive, you will find as a scuba diver, that they tend to stay pretty far away from you at most times. On occasion, one may get curious and come in for a closer look, but rarely. In the Bahamas, we find them on deeper dive sites. The bull shark is a very bulky, massively built shark with a blunt round snout, small eyes and no real conspicuous fin or body markings. Think of a wrestler or body builder, they look like they have no neck and the same goes for a bull shark. They have an extremely large girth, not at all sleek looking like a Caribbean reef shark.

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Nurse Shark

Very common in the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean, these sharks have a very large second dorsal fin, long paddle shaped caudle fin and very small dotty eyes. It's pectoral fins look almost "angel like" if viewed from above. They are tan in colour as opposed to the black tip or Caribbean reef shark, which are gray in colour. They grow to lengths of 9-10 feet and can be found in shallow waters, reefs, rubble bottoms, and are mostly seen lying on the bottom during the day as they are nocturnal by nature.

They feed on crabs, shrimps, lobsters, and octopuses along with fish. You can find these sharks on just about any reef. They are very docile when left alone.

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Lemon Sharks

Lemon sharks get their name from their light coloration. Males seem to be thinner than the females who can reach over 10 feet in length

and be very bulky. They have a pointy snout and small eyes as well as two dorsal fins, like a nurse or sand tiger shark. It is common for

people to see fifteen or more different lemon sharks on one day in one location averaging 8

feet in length.

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Black Tip Reef Shark

These sharks are found almost worldwide. Most people confuse the Caribbean Reef shark for a Black tip. These sharks have small amounts of

black on the extremities of various fins; they look like they've been dipped in

paint. The snout, when viewed from the side, is longer and pointier than the

rounded snout of the Caribbean Reef. In the Bahamas black tip reef sharks

are commonly seen.

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Oceanic white tip shark

There is no mistaking this impressive shark for their commandeering presence is one of a kind. From early times these sharks have been given a bad reputation,

During the summer months some marine biologists travel to areas in the Bahamas where we have been fortunate enough to encounter the endangered Oceanic White tip shark. They are named because of the white tip on their dorsal fin. Elegant pilot fish are usually found accompanying this majestic sharks. On occasion we have even encounter juveniles no larger than 3 feet in length. With their oversized paddle-like pectoral fins you will not find a more endearing shark photograph. 

Page 11: Bahamas sharks

Silky Shark

These are open ocean sharks that normally stay fairly close to land, but in deep water offshore. They have been seen off of deep water reefs and accompanying other

marine animals. They are a sleek, shiny gray to bronze colour. These guys are fast, and

very agile. They feed mostly on bony fishes. In the Bahamas, we find them hanging

around deep buoys in the Tongue of the Ocean off Andros Island and sometimes in large numbers around a blue hole in Nassau .

Page 12: Bahamas sharks

Facts about sharks

They now think that sharks are colour blind and they can only see in black and white.

A shark does not have one bone in its body.  Its skeleton is made up of cartilage.  Cartilage is a tough material, like the material that shapes your ear

The Swell Shark, found in New Zealand, barks like a dog.  A shark has three types of fins.  They have two dorsal fins on their back, one fin

beneath their body, called the pectoral fin (not all species have it), and the caudal fin is the tail.

On average sharks kill less people than vending machinesA Mako shark can travel at up to 60 MPH

The weirdest thing ever found in a shark was medieval armourA shark is the only fish that can blink in both eyes

A shark can go through up to 1,000 sets of teeth during its life Sharks have been around for over 300 million years, even before dinosaurs

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The Tiger Shark Model