Tiger Sharks

Galeocerdo cuvier

This shark is a solitary hunter, usually hunting at night. Its name is derived from the dark stripes down its body, which fade as the shark matures.

The tiger shark is a predator, known for eating a wide range of items. Its usual diet consists of fish, seals, birds, smaller sharks, squid, turtles, and dolphins. It has sometimes been found with man-made waste such as license plates or pieces of old tires in its digestive tract and is often referred to as "the wastebasket of the sea".

This shark may be easily identified due to its dark stripes which are similar to a tiger pattern. It also has dorsal fins that are distinctively close to its tail. These sharks are often large in size and may encounter humans because they often visit shallow reefs, harbours and canals.

Second only to the great white shark in number of recorded attacks on humans, the tiger shark is considered, along with the great white, bull shark and the oceanic whitetip shark to be one of the sharks most dangerous to humans. This may be due to its aggressive nature and frequency of human contact as it often inhabits populated waters.

An awesome dive just off Aliwal Shoal can be arranged especially to see the Tiger Sharks, and you may see these amazing animals up close and a few hammerhead sharks too!