Tiger shark misses turtle hunt twice

Brazil Tiger sharks corner turtles in shallow water, grab its front flippers but then let it escape.

Cameraman Carlos Gauna used a drone to capture the hunt of a baby tiger shark in Sueste Bay, Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Brazil, Earth Touch News reported on January 26. Initially, the tiger shark appeared to be trying to herd the sea turtle into increasingly shallow water, where the turtle appeared to be less agile and the predator had the upper hand. The tiger shark pursued, then grabbed the prey’s front flippers.

However, the sea turtle struggled free and quickly fled. It even swam upside down, using its hard shell to separate its vital organs from the predator. When the sea turtle reached the reef, the tiger shark accepted that it had lost its prey and stopped chasing.

The tiger shark did not give up, it aimed at another turtle. This time, the predator continued to bite the front flippers. However, the sea turtle continued to escape successfully, leaving the tiger shark hungry.

The Fernando de Noronha archipelago tiger shark population has the highest genetic diversity of any known tiger shark population. Research also shows that they come from far and wide to congregate in these nutrient-rich waters to breed.

The Fernando de Noronha archipelago, and Sueste Bay in particular, may play another important role in the life cycle of tiger sharks. After observing their behavior, Gauna suspected that juveniles might use the shallow waters of the bay as a practice area to develop their turtle-hunting skills. He and two researchers, Rangel and Fabio Borges from the Instituto Vida na Oceano, began using drones to film daily. They saw almost exclusively juvenile tiger sharks in the bay. In addition, although they filmed dozens of turtle-hunting trips, none ended in success.

More mature and experienced tiger sharks may adopt a different tactic when hunting turtles. According to the study, they often attack from below, incapacitating the turtles before they can escape.

Borges said more research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn about habitat use or differences in hunting techniques between juvenile and adult tiger sharks. He also said the use of drones to collect shark data is a pioneering method in Fernando de Noronha and the results are encouraging.

Thu Thao (According to Earth Touch News )

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