Tiger shark

(Galeocerdo cuvier)

Diet

Preferred prey include sea turtle, sea birds, sharks, rays, bony fish, dolphins, squid and carrion, but has also been known to swallow tin cans and number plates!

Habitat

Found in shallow and deep waters, both near shore and far out to sea in temperate and tropical waters worldwide, except the Mediterranean.

Fin-tastic facts

Often referred to as “dustbins of the ocean” Tiger sharks are known for eating some strange things and are often thought of as mindless eating machines. But in actual fact, these sharks are far more sophisticated hunters than they are given credit. Many Tiger sharks have learned to take advantage of specific seasonal events, such as Green turtle breeding season at Raine Island, or albatross chicks learning to fly at the French Frigate Shoals. They time their arrival to coincide with this gluttony of easy prey, and will often travel long distances to do so. In fact, Tiger sharks have such impeccable time keeping skills that they have been recorded visiting the same spot, on the same day, for two consecutive years! One tiger shark, named Harry Lindo, even travelled an astonishing 27,000 miles as he completed a 3-year circuit around the Atlantic visiting many of the same areas.