The Tiger Shark - The Ocean's Predatory Scavenger

The Tiger Shark is one of the most voracious predators of the ocean, and also one of the most dangerous. This fearsome predator is known to attack pretty much anything in its continuous search for food. The Tiger shark is also one of the most beautiful creatures of the ocean, in spite of its deserved reputation. This article is to clarify some facts about tiger sharks and their involvement in shark attacks on humans.

Appearance- The tiger shark is known for its stripes and while the shark is young they are quite prominent. As the shark ages the stripes tend to fade into the overall coloration of the shark. They are dark on the top with a white to off-white underbelly.

Commonly, the tiger shark is around 10 feet in length, but specimens have been known to top 20 feet. The tiger shark is a thick, sturdy shark with significant power. The tiger shark is lightening quick, especially in quick bursts, and the shark knows how to use this power.

The tiger shark has a short, blunt snout with rows of serrated teeth. These teeth are one of the reasons the tiger shark is so dangerous. Rather than having teeth designed to hold prey, like many sharks, the tiger shark's teeth are designed to shred. Investigating bites, or "curiosity bites" can often be devastating when you consider the size and tearing power of this shark's teeth.

Location- The Tiger shark is found world wide, but prefers the warmer waters. Generally, the tiger shark will spend a large amount of the day out at sea, and come into the shallows for feeding in the evening and early mornings. They have been known to come into the swimming areas of our beaches anytime, however, and have attacked. The tiger shark is a territorial shark that covers a very wide area. Some think that the tiger shark may cover up to 500 miles.