Tiger sharks have a mixed reputation. Many words are tossed around in the media and the public that tigers are either attackers or simply misunderstood. What we do know of sharks is from our own personal experience. We think that the only way to understand sharks is to experience them, which is why we recently ventured to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas for a week of freediving with these incredible creatures.
The first moment we were face to face with a 15-foot goliath we were naturally a little hesitant. We have experienced many other species of sharks over the years, but each species have different behaviors and the tigers are the largest and most powerful sharks we have free-dived with. Armed with knowledge from our local shark experts, over a short period of time we realized that although these beautiful creatures could definitely be inquisitive, we were never once threatened. In fact, many times the tigers would ignore us altogether while we free-dived peacefully by their side. To put it simply, we were not on their menu. The word “attack” is often trumped up by the media, but tiger sharks can only be guilty of a case of mistaken identity when they have bitten a human. These bites are investigatory, but due to their immense size can have fatal consequences. The comparative statistics of being killed by a shark are many; you are more likely to be killed by lightning or a champagne cork than you are by a shark.
Of course sharks are not puppies, and it was necessary to always maintain awareness when in the water with all the sharks in the Bahamas – tiger sharks, lemons and Caribbean reefs. We stand by the mandate that we have entered the shark’s territory and must respect them as animals that act on instinct. However, our experiences with the tigers were spectacular. Each tiger shark we encountered could change behavior in one day or even one moment and many tiger sharks had their own unique behaviors, yet all were as stunning as the other with their white underbelly and trademark light vertical stripes.
We were advised to carry a shark deterrent device, which is basically a PVC pipe 1-metre in length. The device is not for prodding the shark, but to place between the shark and ourselves should it come for an investigatory bump. Eye contact was incredibly powerful when interacting with the tiger sharks. We would avoid direct eye contact with the more timid tigers, but stare the more inquisitive tigers directly in the eye should they come too close with curiosity. We experienced freediving with up to six tiger sharks at once on many days, which we loved, although it meant that we really had to maintain awareness of what was around, below, above and behind us at all times. They were sometimes sluggish, swimming in energy efficiency mode, but as one of the strongest swimmers in the shark family, they could be extremely fast.
We hope that our experiences, photographs and video footage will encourage people to think about sharks, their value to the ocean, and how they can be understood as marine creatures who are, of course, animals that act on pure instinct alone but are sometimes subject to misrepresentation. We can say with certainty that during our week free-diving with tiger sharks we have a far greater understanding, appreciation and knowledge of these beautiful creatures. Put simply, we have fallen in love with the tiger.
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