Sharks Around The World Part I - Belize

Dedicated to Freddie - Good luck!!

            Graced with glorious coastlines, Belize is a popular tourist destination for many avid divers - especially shark watchers. Numerous shark species visit the waters of Belize seasonally, with certain reef sharks remaining there year round. Caribbean reef and blacktip sharks (the latter not to be confused with blacktip reef sharks) patrol the sandbanks by day and rule the water at night, scouring the reef and the outlying Belize Fan for prey. Whale sharks migrate annually to the coast of Belize, making a perfect attraction for snorkelers, while bull sharks and tiger sharks stalk the seabed.

            Alike to many other coastal reefs, the Belize Fan plays host to the annual mating of pelagic fish (fish that normally live in the ocean). This natural phenomenon attracts whale sharks in their dozens, who come to feed on the fish eggs as well as the plankton rich water. Bull and tiger sharks, meanwhile, prefer to feast on the fish themselves. Cubera snapper fish spawn in immense balls, with tens of thousands of fish mating at the same time. Working in tandem with others of their species, bull and tiger sharks corner the fish, surrounding them from all angles, before darting into the ball for a mouthful of fish.

Cubera snapper fish mate
in large balls.

            Of the three reefs on the Belize Fan, Turneffe Atoll is by far the most diverse. Aside from the iconic coral reefs, which teem with marine life, there are also vast planes of sea grass, which are a favoured feeding ground for manatees and sea cows, and interminable mangrove swamps, which play host to many young and adolescent fish who have yet to emerge onto the reef.

A lemon shark leaves the mangroves
of Turneffe Atoll.

            Amidst the diverse life of the mangrove swamps, lemon shark pups lurk, honing their hunting skills as they grow. These shallow waters are ideal for the pups to be born in (lemon sharks, amongst others, give birth to live young rather than laying eggs), as larger sharks are unable to enter them and feast upon the new-born pups living there.

            Tiger sharks, one of the most feared shark species, inhabit the waters of Belize year-round, preying on the constant population of hawksbill turtles in the area. Belize is one of many turtle nesting grounds in the Caribbean, making it an ideal home for predatory sharks. As both the turtles and the sharks grow more endangered, however, the populations of both have decreased, leaving a gaping vacuum in the marine ecosystem.

A diver swims alongside a whale shark
at the Belize Fan.

Sharks Around The World

Readers,

  Over the next few months, I will be writing several new posts about sharks in different areas of the world.

  Unfortunately, due to a possible lack of internet, I may not be able to post these pieces as yet. If I am unable to obtain internet during my holiday, these pieces will be posted en masse in September.

  To wet your appetite for this, I have written a small piece about sharks in Belize. An updated version of this will be posted at my earliest convenience.

  Keep reading.

Daniel Bailey

The Whitetip Reef Shark

  Predominantly inhabiting the Indian and Pacific Oceans, especially the Great Barrier Reef, where it is one of the most common sharks, whitetip reef sharks could be referred to as the wolves of the sea - dominating the ocean at night and swarming across reefs in their hundreds.

  Small and slow, whitetip reef sharks make for good aquarium exhibits and are a great attraction for divers in the wild. Although they are generally passive, these reef sharks have been known to attack spear-fishermen whilst trying to steal their catch. Numerous divers have been injured in the feeding frenzies that ensue, although these well-publicised events are few and far between.

  Dwelling in caves for the most part of the time, whitetips come to life at night as they prowl their reef-homes in the dark - preying on any unfortunate fish or crustacean they come across. With slender, cartilaginous bodies, they can easily press themselves into crevices or caves in search of food. Scavengers by nature, some whitetip reef sharks - most notably those of Hawaii - have learned to follow seals in order to steal their hard-earned meals. Others have developed the bait of waiting by reef drop-offs and catching the remains of fish,

Whitetip reef sharks rarely grow
to two metres in length.

which float in with the tide.

  A typical behaviour of reef sharks, whitetips often frequent cleaning stations on their reef, where cleaner wrasse and small fish feed on the many parasites sharks are known to suffer from. Copepods often attach themselves to whitetips in order to feed on their flesh.

  Their are, however, some more fearsome predators to the whitetip reef shark. Around America and Mexico, tiger sharks frequently kill whitetips for their meat, while silvertip sharks in Australia will attack any creature in order to defend their territory. Astonishingly, the remains of full grown whitetip reef sharks have been discovered in the stomachs of giant groupers. These gargantuan fish often inhabit the wreckages of boats and aeroplanes near to reefs and are easily capable of swallowing a shark whole. Due to their rarity, however, such an occurrence is not common and has only been witnessed a few times.

  Rarely leaving the reef they were born at, whitetip reef sharks have come to symbolise fidelity to the natives of many Pacific islands. This is generally attributed to their fear of the predators around their reefs, rather than to the sharks being instinctively territorial, as they are social creatures and often rest in large groups during the day.

  Sadly, whitetip numbers have declined in recent years due to the numerous fisheries hunting them for the hide, meat and liver oil. The destruction of their restricted reef-habitat has also played a large role in this, reducing their numbers abhorrently. Slow reproducers, it is quite possible that whitetips will be hunted to extinction in certain areas before they are able to repopulate.

A juvenile whitetip reef shark on the Great Barrier Reef. Note the distinctive
white fin and tail tips.

The Nurse Shark

  For many a species that would hold little interest, there is in fact far more to the nurse shark than meets the eye.

  Most people dismiss the nurse shark because of its evident lack of aggression. It is only to be expected, of course, that the more volatile sharks are the ones people find the most interesting. Yet those who study nurse sharks and delve into the secrets of the species find that they hold a great many surprising secrets beneath their dull exterior.

  Found in most warm waters, such as the Mediterranean Sea and West Atlantic Ocean, the nurse shark is a common sight for divers. A slow swimmer, few divers would have bargained on the nurse shark being as aggressive as it is towards humans. Although no fatalities have been recorded, this shark has perpetrated numerous unprovoked attacks to supplement the multitudes of provoked ones. Since many divers abhorrently abuse these creatures, perceiving them as weak and passive, it is most likely that those who have been attacked by nurse sharks have not recorded the occurrences for fear of persecution and humiliation. Surprisingly, nurse sharks are responsible for the most shark bites recorded.

Because of their docile nature, nurse sharks are commonly exhibited in aquariums.

  With thick skin prized above most others' as leather, nurse sharks are hunted in many areas for both their tough hide and also their liver oil, which is used in medicine. Because of its widespread population, biologists are uncertain as to the numbers of nurse sharks, although they do not believe them to be at threat of extinction.

  Feeding mostly on shellfish and crabs, nurse sharks have flat, molar-like teeth used to crush through the tough shells of their prey. For tougher-shelled creatures, however, they have a different technique: creating a vacuum with their mouths, nurse sharks are able to suck a shellfish from its casing -  rendering it defenceless and easy to eat.

  Growing up to three metres long, nurse sharks are, like the vast majority of reef dwelling sharks, nocturnal, spending most of the day resting in caves. Like many other reef sharks, nurse sharks are able to breathe without moving, by pumping water over their gills as they sit on the sand. Social creatures, nurse sharks have been known to sleep in conglomerations of up to forty specimens.

Nurse sharks normally live for about twenty five human years.

The Epaulette Shark

  Not to be underestimated on account of its size, nor because of its passive aura, the epaulette shark has adapted perfectly to its environment and is an ideal demonstration of evolutionary genius.

  Exclusively inhabiting the tidal waters of the Great Barrier Reef, the epaulette shark is often seen by reef divers as it stows away in crevices. A small shark even by reef standards, most epaulettes only grow to around one metre in length and would be at the mercy of luck if confronted by the larger blacktip reef and silvertip sharks which prowl its coral-coated home.

  However, whilst it might be a cowering creature whilst the water is deep and dangerous, when the tide is out and the reef reduced to a mere collection of rock pools, this shark transforms into the indisputable overlord of the environment - a merciless, unpredictable hunter.

  Feeding mostly on crabs and small fish, the epaulette is perfectly suited to life among the rock pools. Its small and cartilaginous body allows it to work its way into the smallest of caves and under the lowest of overhangs in search of prey.

  Whilst its prey are unable to escape the pools in which they are enclosed, the shark itself has the abnormal ability to leave the water and move across dry land, using its small, sturdy fins as legs. Most fish die relatively quickly after emerging from their subaqueous empire, but the epaulette shark, on the other hand - or fin, as the case may be - is able to survive without oxygen for sixty hours longer than a human being by shutting down its internal organs. This queer capability gives the epaulette shark a vital advantage as a hunter, especially considering it has so little time to find a meal before the waters flood back in and it must once again return to its life of concealment from its predacious cousins.

  Commonly seen in aquariums, epaulette sharks are not dangerous to humans. Even when handled they are generally passive, although they have been known to ocationally bite provocateurs - a behaviour that can only be considered natural.

One of the epaulette shark's key
defences is its camouflage.

Despite its unimposing nature, the epaulette shark is an
accomplished hunter.

Because its body is soft, the epaulette
shark can easily squeeze through small
gaps.

Apologies

All,

I must apologise for my lack of activity on this blog over the past months. I won't elaborate as to my reasons for this as they were many, however, I promise you that more posts will be coming your way over the coming weeks.

Keep reading and keep learning about sharks.

Daniel Bailey

What We Can Do To Save Sharks?

  Everyone who has read this blog knows that sharks are critically endangered. In a previous post, I outlined the reasons why sharks are still endangered. Now, I will show you what you can do to help.

  One of the most fundamental threats to not only sharks but to all marine life is human waste. If you are on a beach and you see litter blustering around in the wind, just pick it up and put it in a bin. For all you know at the time, the plastic bag you just stopped from going into the sea would have killed an endangered shark. This doesn't mean that you have to plod around the beach all day collecting flotsam and jetsam - in fact, you don't have to do anything at all, it's completely your choice to help - it just means that, if you see rubbish lying on the beach, picking it up and binning it will always help.

For some people it's a bottle on a beach. For a shark, it's a
potentially fatal choking hazard.

  There are always people who want to try and help sharks. SharkTrustUK and SHARKDEFENSE in America are both excellent groups of people dedicated to saving sharks and, thus, the lives of humans as we grow to understand more about them. By joining a society such as these, or even donating a small amount of money - again, it's your choice - you can help them to learn more about sharks and you can help them prevent the killing of sharks around the world. Sometimes, a site like one of these will form a petition to protect a certain area of the ocean or to make a certain species protected. Free to sign, a petition like this can make all the difference if there are enough names on it.

  Of course, some people see thins on a far grander scale. In this case, Bojan Slat.

  Whilst diving in Greece, aged 16, he was disgusted to find more rubbish than marine life and even more so when he discovered the multitudes of dead fish trapped in plastic bags and bottles. He was furious that people simply through their litter into the sea without a care for the damage it could do. Therefore, he decided to delve into the science of plastic, learning about how it could be recycled or destroyed. He developed a plan to entirely remove the Pacific Garbage Patch from the Earth which, considering the area is twice the size of Texas, would be a great step in the direction of a better Ocean. With a team of 100 scientists behind him, he experimented on how he could do this and, in June 2014, he finally discovered a "likely technologically feasible and financially viable" solution which he and his team hope to put into effect soon.

  Even though his idea may not directly revolve around the saving of sharks, pollution and waste in seas and oceans is one of the primary causes of mass death for sharks. Not only that, but the unbelievable positive affect this will have on the wellbeing of the marine world and its inhabitants will most definitely be a great step on the way to saving sharks from extinction.

Boyan Slat, 19, plans to clean up the
Pacific Garbage Patch.

  As has been said many times before on this blog, we are dancing on the cusp of a world without sharks. If everyone on this planet were to help out in saving sharks, we needn't worry for their existence. But yet the fishing and the finning continue and those of us who love sharks and the marine world must work ever harder to prevent the death of one of the planet's most fascinating and secretive species.