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NARRATOR: Through fire...
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
And water...
Hawaii reveals why it's a paradise for all.
Including 40 species of sharks.
Dr. Mike Heithaus
and Ph.D. candidate, Frances Farabaugh,
are here to learn what makes this scattering of
fiery islands a shark magnet.
MIKE: Oh wow, look at the size of that shark.
FRANCES: We got so close.
MIKE: Here he comes!
(wave crash and splash)
FRANCES: The volcanic islands of Hawaii are home to a lot of
incredible marine life.
The coral reefs on Hawaii are incredibly diverse and
are a beautiful buffet for animals like sharks.
MIKE: People often think of the oceans as just
teeming with life,
but it turns out that vast stretches,
especially the open ocean are more like deserts.
Volcanic islands, like those of Hawaii,
are important to sharks for a few reasons.
One of the most important is that they create an incredible
amount of habitat.
So in the middle of kind of a desert, they're an oasis.
FRANCES: When volcanic islands arise out of the
middle of the ocean,
they provide a lot that is important for animals.
Mostly they provide habitat,
including coral reefs and shallow lagoon areas where
animals can find food and shelter.
NARRATOR: Hawaii’s volcanoes get all the press,
but its undersea landscape is just as spectacular and
key to why sharks are drawn here.
MIKE: Hawaiian reefs are pretty incredible.
There’s tons of fish here,
but there are other species that might be food for sharks.
You got sea turtles for tiger sharks,
but there's one species that's really unique in Hawaii,
and that's the monk seal.
NARRATOR: The Hawaiian Monk Seal is
one of the most endangered animals on earth.
There are less than 2000 left in the wild.
They're protected, but under siege,
by humans and sharks.
Monk seals feed along Hawaii's coastal reefs,
which is also prime hunting grounds for one of Hawaii's
most fearsome predators.
FRANCES: One of the larger species of sharks we see on
volcanic islands here in the Pacific are
the Galapagos shark.
Now, they're called the Galapagos shark,
but they're not actually unique to only the Galapagos.
We see them here in Hawaii, and they can get pretty large,
upwards of 9, 10 feet long.
NARRATOR: Monk seals try to avoid the Galapagos' 14 rows of
serrated teeth and its aggressive behavior.
They stay away because these sharks will even feed
on other sharks.
But Galapagos aren't here just for the food,
Hawaii lures them in for another reason.
Now Mike and Frances head to a Galapagos hot spot off
the island of Oahu,
to see what makes this the perfect rendezvous.
FRANCES: Male and female sharks don't always hang out
in the same places.
This is what we scientists call sexual segregation.
Just like for people,
it can be difficult for male and female sharks
to find one another.
You might use a dating app; but sharks use locations.
They come together in one place to mate.
MIKE: Once male and female sharks find each other,
the males actually have to grab onto the female and
then use their claspers for mating.
And, you know, that leaves scars.
We're going to go in here and see if we can see scars
on the female Galapagos sharks because it might give us clues
as to whether they're using this area for mating.
NARRATOR: Caution is key.
Many of the shark attacks occurring in Hawaii happen off
O'ahu, where they're diving.
Safety divers will give Mike and Frances extra eyes while
they concentrate on gathering photographic evidence of mating.
A Galapagos arrives.
MIKE: Swimming with these Galapagos sharks can be pretty
intense because you can go from 1 shark to 10 to 20 or
even more really quickly.
FRANCES: You got to make sure you're watching your back and
your buddy's back.
NARRATOR: Mike and Frances are careful as they look for scars.
MIKE: Two really obvious ones. One on the nose.
There’s a bigger one that has bites on the flanks but
she’s pretty shy.
FRANCES: I’ve got a few good shots of the one that
had the scars on the nose,
but not the one with a lot of scarring down the side.
MIKE: Yeah, I got a good decent pass with the bigger one
with the scars on the side,
but I'd like to get another shot.
Let's see if we can survey the rest of the animals down there.
NARRATOR: Soon two sharks become 12 and
Mike and Frances are surrounded.
♪ ♪
FRANCES: That's a lot of sharks.
MIKE: Yeah, I think I've got pictures of at least
15 individuals, how about you?
FRANCES: About the same, I think.
MIKE: Well, I’d say we got enough to look for those scars
so let’s, uh, call it a day.
FRANCES: All right.
NARRATOR: The photos and video reveal that Galapagos sharks
are not just predating,
but also mating within the shadow of the volcano.
MIKE: One had a little bite on the nose,
another had big scars on the side,
and one had at least that stereotypical bite right on the
pectoral fin that males like to grab on to.
FRANCES: Which is evidence that there really is mating
happening with these Galapagos sharks here on the
volcanic islands of Hawaii.
NARRATOR: The reefs and channels off Oahu are an ideal
spot for finding mates.
Where there's food, you'll find other sharks.
But it's not just the reefs; the shallow harbors also hold
some allure for these predators.
MIKE: We're in K ne'ohe Bay, and it is a beautiful spot,
but it doesn't have the crystal clear waters you might
expect in Hawaii.
In fact, it's kind of green, and you can see there are
cliffs behind me and that's one of the reasons why.
You can get the rain and the runoff and that puts nutrients
in the water.
You get plankton blooming and that fuels the base of
the food web that can mean lots of food for baby sharks.
NARRATOR: Pregnant female hammerheads enter the silty bay
to give birth.
The murk makes it harder for predators like large sharks
to find them.
Now, Mike and Frances aim to capture video of the
young hammerheads to help confirm the bay's an
active hammerhead nursery.
MIKE: Our colleagues at the University of Hawaii have been
studying the scalloped hammerhead nursery here in
K ne'ohe Bay for years, and we want to get a look.
So we've set up a RUVS or Remote Underwater Video System
and we've used four cameras because this isn't
super clear water,
so we need to have cameras pointed in all directions to
maximize our chances.
So Frances is going to take this down and position
it so it's pointed perfectly and isn't on any coral.
Ready, Frances?
FRANCES: Ready.
NARRATOR: While waiting to retrieve the cameras,
Mike and Frances get word one of the largest sharks
in Hawaii is outside the bay.
Its name gives away its size.
MIKE: We've got a whale shark here,
this is Hawaii's biggest shark.
And scientists are trying to figure out how many individuals
there might be coming to these islands.
So we're going to pop in and take a picture of its body
behind its left gills, because that's an area where if you
look at the spot pattern, you can tell individuals apart,
kind of like a person's fingerprint.
NARRATOR: Whale sharks don't so much swim as cruise at around
3 miles per hour, about the same speed as a human walking.
They're not only the largest shark in the world,
but the largest fish, reaching up to 40 feet.
But like most sharks, they pose no threat to humans.
MIKE: This one was only about 18 to 20 feet,
but they're here because there's lots of food.
You've got coral spawn, you've got the small fish that
this whale shark was feeding on.
NARRATOR: Hawaii's volcanoes tempt these massive creatures
like moths to a flame.
Volcanic activity can stir up the ocean bottom,
releasing nutrients that phytoplankton, their food,
latch onto.
Whale Sharks can't resist these small critters.
They use their gaping four-foot mouth to suck them in.
FRANCES: There is something really awe-inspiring when
you're in the water with an animal as majestic as
a whale shark.
They're enormous and they're beautiful with
these spotted patterns,
and they're just gentle giants that really take
your breath away.
NARRATOR: From the largest to the smallest,
Hawaii grants sanctuary to sharks.
With enough time passed, Mike and Frances secure the
remote underwater video.
MIKE: Well, the cameras have been in the water for six hours,
so it's time to get them back up and see what we've got.
Well, plenty of murk.
FRANCES: A fish, a few fish.
MIKE: Okay, shark food too.
BOTH: Whoa!
FRANCES: We had some shark food and then a shark.
MIKE: And a few sharks.
Oh, that's great.
FRANCES: Gosh, they're moving so fast,
it's kind of hard to tell what species they are.
MIKE: Oh, but those are little, they’re like...
FRANCES: Little, little, little. MIKE: A foot long, maybe.
FRANCES: Oh, a hammerhead. For sure.
A foot and a half maybe is even generous.
MIKE: Yeah.
FRANCES: 12 inches maybe for some of these,
so really, really young.
MIKE: And the cool thing is there’s no food in the water
here near the cameras.
These are just swimming around, so that’s a lot of sharks.
FRANCES: Their hammer is so cartoonishly large for
their tiny, tiny bodies.
MIKE: Yeah, but, you know those tiny bodies basically make them
a snack for big sharks.
So they don't want to be out here in these channels where
they might get eaten,
so the shallow flats are really perfect for lots of sharks.
Lots of little sharks.
FRANCES: Yeah, this is a nursery, for sure.
MIKE: Absolutely.
NARRATOR: And when the hammerheads are big enough,
they leave the island's protective bays and grow to be
one of Hawaii's top predators.
It's then they exhibit an extraordinary schooling behavior
which the volcanoes might trigger.
Hawaii's undersea lava flows have magnetic properties,
which sharks can detect.
Seamounts and volcanic pillars surround the islands.
MIKE: These scalloped hammerheads get in big schools
around seamounts and then they head out along volcanic flows
to get to that deep water.
And they use those magnetic fields as highways to get to
and from these seamounts.
We don't know if they're doing that here in Hawaii.
So there's a lot left to learn.
NARRATOR: The team observes the large schools,
some reported to have as many as 100 sharks.
MIKE: Scalloped hammerheads are one of the few large sharks
that we know of that congregate in these big groups.
We don't really know fully why they're forming these schools.
Maybe there're social reasons that they come together.
Maybe it helps them save energy by swimming together,
kind of like a bird flock.
NARRATOR: The lava that could be attracting the sharks
is something these islands never stop creating.
The biggest island, called Hawaii, the chain's namesake,
is the newest island in the archipelago.
Like any youngster, it can throw a tantrum.
It's home to Kilauea,
one of the most active volcanoes on earth.
As super-heated lava pierces cooling water,
an elemental battle erupts.
600-degree lava meets 80-degree ocean.
When the undersea magma flows,
its outer shell cools and hardens,
creating a hidden web of tunnels on the ocean floor.
Tubes are revealed when ceilings collapse.
These volcanic structures hold a special attraction for
one species of shark.
FRANCES: Behind me you can see this black rock
that is formed by lava flows from the volcano.
These lava flows flow all the way down into the ocean,
creating amazing structures, including lava tubes that are
favorite hangouts for whitetip reef sharks.
They like to sleep in there, swim in and out.
The question is why?
NARRATOR: Whitetip reef sharks don't grow much
bigger than five feet.
Their downward curved jaws give them a perpetual grumpy look.
It also allows them to scoop up prey like crabs and lobsters.
Mike and Frances head to the lava tube known as
"Touch of Grey"
to seek out these mysterious sharks and why
Hawaii's volcanic tubes pull them in.
MIKE (over radio): We should be aware of the exits and entrances
of the tube.
Sharks can come in and out from any direction.
FRANCES (over radio): Copy that Mike.
I’ll keep an eye out.
NARRATOR: This undersea tube is one of the largest
found off Hawaii.
But it can feel really small when sharks and divers are
there at the same time.
NARRATOR: With a tiger shark in the area,
most small sharks make themselves scarce.
But Frances finds these whitetip reef sharks
to be unfazed.
They even appear to be sleeping.
FRANCES: While you might have heard that sharks need to
constantly keep moving to keep breathing and stay alive,
that’s only true for a handful of species.
Many shark species can breathe fine while not in motion.
For example, the whitetip reef shark can sit on the bottom and
pump water through its gills and be perfectly happy.
And while they might look like they’re asleep,
they’re fully awake.
MIKE: When they’re resting, you’ll often see them tucked
back in under a coral head or maybe in a lava tube,
which can kind of act as a fortress where no tiger shark
can get them.
And also, adds the benefit that there are no
currents down there,
so you don’t have to worry about getting swept away.
NARRATOR: It’s a great way to avoid being eaten.
Instead of fleeing, or fighting,
you do something very Hawaiian, you chill.
MIKE (over radio): This is incredible.
You can see why they like to stick under here.
No current and no predator can get them.
FRANCES (over radio): Absolutely,
if it’s tough for us to duck our heads in,
there’s no way a tiger shark could get under here.
The only thing these whitetips need to worry about
is how long to relax.
NARRATOR: But as relaxing as this may be,
even small sharks leave the safety of the cave to eat.
Hawaii's reefs aren't just a place for sharks to meet,
grab a meal, or hide from predators.
They serve another role for sharks of all sizes.
MIKE: It's not something we often think about with sharks,
but they're actually full of parasites sometimes.
There are lots little creatures that will live on their skin
that will actually feed on the shark.
And sharks don't want that.
I mean, who would?
NARRATOR: The reefs provide cleaning stations for sharks.
Think of them as underwater spas,
a place for sharks to get a special skin exfoliation.
The spa workers are Hawaiian cleaner wrasse,
whose specially designed mouth allows them to suck up
parasites from its clients.
Mike and Frances target a nearby shark spa to see what
types of visitors it attracts.
Local diver Jeff Leicher will be their guide.
MIKE: Is there any particular place we should put our cameras?
JEFF: Well, when we first get there,
we're going to just peek over the top and look down on them.
When you're doing that, plan your strategy.
Look for spots where the cleaners are hanging out,
look for spots where the sharks tend to want to get cleaned.
FRANCES: All right, well, let’s get in the water.
NARRATOR: The goal is to set up remote cameras to get
footage of this behavior.
MIKE (over radio): When we approach the edge of the canyon,
let’s come in low and slow.
FRANCES (over radio): Absolutely, these sharks are
known to be timid and if we come in too fast,
we might spook them and they might scatter.
NARRATOR: Mike and Frances observe a swarm of
grey reef sharks waiting to be cleaned.
By placing four cameras, the team hopes to cover every angle.
♪ ♪
The hidden cameras reveal a secret world
seldom seen by prying eyes,
a world where predator and prey call a truce.
MIKE: The relationship between sharks and cleaner fish is
something scientists call mutualism,
which basically means both parties win.
FRANCES: The sharks get clean, the fish get a meal,
and everyone is really happy.
In addition to that, it can help these parasites from
becoming a larger problem.
NARRATOR: But not all sharks are reef dwellers.
Lucky for them,
Hawaii's diverse habitats have them covered.
Some of Hawaii's volcanoes climb over 5 miles up from
the ocean floor.
From base to highest point they're the largest mountains
on earth, taller than even Everest.
This creates the deep water channels,
over a mile down,
that Oceanic whitetips love to hunt in.
A world of endless blue.
They cruise for miles and days looking for prey.
But as Mike and Frances search for oceanic whitetips
off Hawaii's volcanoes,
it's clear these waters also provide for
other large predators.
FRANCES: So we're about four miles off the Kona Coast here,
and we've been approached by a group of pilot whales.
This pod has maybe 20, 25 individuals in it.
NARRATOR: Pilot whales are actually dolphins and feed on
fish and squid.
MIKE: They're a deep-water species.
So, they like to forage deep underwater,
2000 feet down or even more.
And they are thought of as the cheetahs of the sea,
partially because they go down slow and then they really
sprint that last bit to catch that squid.
It's really rare to see them this close to shore,
but here with the volcano off the big island,
that slope goes down really fast,
and so they have that deep hunting ground really
close to shore.
Another thing that's really special about these pilot whales
here off Hawaii is that often they're followed by
oceanic whitetip sharks.
And we still don't know why those sharks follow them around.
That's what we're here to find out.
NARRATOR: So Mike and Frances aim to attach a camera
to an oceanic and gather never-before-seen footage
detailing why this behavior happens here.
MIKE: This is the camera we want to get on the back of an
oceanic whitetip shark following these pilot whales.
It's got a camera that can record at the surface,
or get video deep underwater where they might be feeding
around the whales.
FRANCES: This camera package slides into this
clamp system right here.
This will slide onto the dorsal fin of the animal
just in there, and has flotation so that when this dissolves the
whole package will pop off and we can retrieve it.
MIKE: All we’ve got to do is get it on a shark.
NARRATOR: Freediver Cory Fults will be the one attaching the
tag on the fin of the shark.
His ability to hold his breath for minutes on end and his
experience with Oceanic White Tips makes him
the perfect choice.
CORY: Since their habitat is essentially a big desert,
when they come across anything that they can
potentially feed on, they have to take advantage of it.
NARRATOR: Known as the Shipwreck Shark,
it's notorious for showing up when ships sink or planes crash.
Cory mobilizes the team when an oceanic whitetip is spotted
trailing the pilot whales.
CORY: As soon as we get in the water inside off the boat,
we're going to want to keep our heads below the surface.
Any communication is basically going to be in terms of if
somebody does see an oceanic whitetip.
So, as soon as we see one shark, lift your head,
let everyone else know so that we all get eyes on that shark.
NARRATOR: Mike and Frances act as safety divers for Cory.
It's not a single shark they have to worry about, but a pair.
MIKE: Watch behind!
MIKE: There's a shark still here.
NARRATOR: Cory zeroes in.
With a second shark in the area,
getting the camera on the fin just got more dangerous.
♪ ♪
CORY: Awesome, you guys.
This is a great candidate, nice big male.
FRANCES: Oh, you got so close.
CORY: Yes, we just want to be sure to be extra cautious
because he's getting a little excited and he definitely wants
to check us out.
So good job, you guys.
Keeping your heads on a swivel, always looking.
We're going to hang out in the water and we're gonna see
if he gives us another opportunity to get this camera
onto its fin.
FRANCES: All right, sounds good.
NARRATOR: The team re-sets.
♪ ♪
MIKE: Oh, awesome.
CORY: Tag on.
MIKE: Nice job, that was perfect.
FRANCES: Beautiful.
CORY: Super good post-deployment behavior.
Animal didn't freak out.
The tag is nice and low.
So, you guys, we're going to hang out the water for just
a couple minutes.
Make sure the tag is set, it's not going anywhere,
and then we're going to let the animal be.
We'll hop back on the boat.
MIKE: Sounds great.
FRANCES: Too cool.
NARRATOR: Hours later, the team uses a VHF receiver
to track down the camera.
A gyre of currents, white-caps,
and the vastness of the Pacific make finding
the camera difficult.
Any data they retrieve will help in better understanding
why the oceanic whitetip follow the Hawaiian pilot whales.
FRANCES: Towards one o’clock!
Yeah, that’s it straight on.
(locator beeping)
MIKE: Ahhh.
About 75 yards just this side of the glassy patch.
There it is right there towards the pylon.
FRANCES: You got it?
Yep, straight on.
MIKE: Good job. FRANCES: Yes!
NARRATOR: Camera retrieved and footage downloaded.
MIKE: We learned a few things from this
first camera deployment.
One is that, you know, the shark went down to about 30 or 40 feet
and was swimming kinda straight.
Maybe trying to maintain contact with the pilot whales,
even though we didn't see them.
We also saw another shark enter frame.
They didn't really interact much,
so maybe there are multiple sharks following
these pilot whales.
Not really as a group, but just kinda like,
"Hey, we're both following this group of whales."
NARRATOR: Then the shark decided to remove the camera
in epic fashion.
MIKE: Even though the sharks showed no reaction really to
having the camera on it, it eventually kind of went deeper
and then turned toward the surface and just rocketed up,
jumped in the air, and spun, and the camera went flying off.
We don't know if that was a reaction to the camera,
because that's a behavior you might expect to see if
it was trying to get rid of a remora.
Other cameras have gone on oceanic whitetips
without that happening.
So, you know, as we go forward,
we're just going to have to see how they react.
NARRATOR: Although the camera didn't film the Oceanic's
interaction with pilot whales,
the footage reveals that future deployments could record
this extraordinary relationship.
From its volcanic core to its 3000-foot cliffs.
These islands seem to live by the mantra,
the bigger...
The better.
And like the sharks, one of the largest creatures on earth
is drawn to Hawaii's bounty.
Humpback Whales spend their summers in the waters of Alaska.
But come winter, Hawaii beckons.
MIKE: These tropical waters are the perfect place for
humpback whales to raise a calf and find a mate.
And that’s one reason that 10,000 whales swim up to
100 miles a day.
But when they get here, there’s trouble in paradise.
Tiger sharks congregate here in the winter as well.
And they can be a real threat to baby humpback whales.
NARRATOR: Tigers aren't tourists like the humpbacks;
they're yearlong residents.
Their distinctive stripes and their voracious appetite give
them their name.
FRANCES: Here in Hawaii,
the apex predator is really tiger sharks.
MIKE: These are incredible animals that can grow to be
more than 15 feet long.
FRANCES: And they have wide head and powerful jaws,
specifically designed to take on big prey.
These jaws can easily cut through things, turtle shells,
Hawaiian monk seals, dolphins.
MIKE: This is one species that may actually be capable of
taking on some of the biggest animals here in Hawaii that you
think would have nothing to fear, humpback whales.
MIKE: Like their namesakes on land,
tiger sharks are top predators that can take out big prey.
NARRATOR: And Hawaii’s waters are home to the biggest
this time of year.
MIKE: Tiger sharks are opportunistic predators and a
humpback whale calf represents an incredible opportunity.
So a calf that strays too far from mom...
Or is sick or week could be in real trouble.
FRANCES: The key saying safe, just like for humans,
is for the calves to stay close to mom.
The problem is adult humpback whales can hold their breath
a lot longer than the juveniles, when mom goes down for a rest,
she can stay under for 10 mins 20 mins, even longer.
The calf will have to surface multiple times during that
interval and that makes them vulnerable to
tiger shark attacks.
NARRATOR: Mike and Frances come upon a pod of humpbacks.
MIKE: Oh look out there; that was a huge pec slap.
NARRATOR: Now, they hope to see how vulnerable these
whales really are.
FRANCES: We’re here with a mother and calf pair,
and this is exactly what we’ve been looking for.
We’re going to hop in the water and see if we can see any signs
of a shark attack.
MIKE: If we find a humpback whale with a shark bite on it,
we want to know how big the sharks was that left that bite,
so we need a measuring tool, and that’s what this is.
There are two lasers that are spaced 7.5 centimeters apart,
it doesn’t matter how far away the animal is or how close.
Those laser dots are the same distance apart so if we can get
the lasers on an animal with a bite,
we can see how big the bite is.
That lets us figure out how big the shark was.
NARRATOR: Mike and Frances get in position and wait for
the whales to approach them.
The tail reveals their suspicions.
FRANCES: Wow. Did you see that?
MIKE: Yeah.
It's what I’d expect from a tiger shark.
FRANCES: Did you get a good shot of it?
MIKE: I think I did, it was a really brief, brief glance.
NARRATOR: It's the perfect spot for a shark attack,
disable the fluke or tail, or anywhere along its back half
called the peduncle and the whale instantly slows down.
With the bite mark information captured,
Mike and Frances seek out the tiger sharks that might be
attacking humpbacks.
Their search leads them back to O'ahu,
about four miles offshore.
MIKE: There we go. Coming straight in.
FRANCES: Here she comes.
Here she comes right here!
So it looks like right now we've got a couple of different
individuals in the water.
You can see the stripes on them.
The markings really pop.
The contrast is just beautiful.
We also have a much larger individual here.
MIKE: Here, here, here coming in.
FRANCES: My goodness.
Oh my goodness!
MIKE: Oh, wow, look at the size of that shark.
FRANCES: Oh, beautiful.
13, 14 feet, maybe?
MIKE: It sure looks every bit of that, but she's so beefy.
We’ll have to get in the water.
But, you know, that’s the kind of size of shark that
might be going after a humpback whale calf.
FRANCES: Well, let's get the lasers on her and
get in the water.
MIKE: Yep.
NARRATOR: They’ve found the sharks,
now to find out if this shark could be attacking whales.
MIKE: This is our tiger shark bite pad.
And it's basically gelatin,
or a big tiger shark Jell-O cube.
So totally non-toxic if they take a big bite out of it,
and it's been mixed to the density of whale
or dolphin blubber.
So the idea is I will take this pole, slide it in here,
and then be able to present this to the sharks.
They bite it, we'll get those teeth marks,
the characteristic bite pattern for tiger sharks.
And we'll also know the size of the shark so what we can
do is then look at those scars we saw on those humpback whales
and get a sense of was it tiger sharks, and if it was,
how big were the sharks that left those marks.
This has never been tried before on tiger sharks,
so what could possibly go wrong?
Okay, so, I am pretty much ready to go.
You've got the GoPro for video,
you've got the stills, we should be all set.
FRANCES: Yeah, let’s hit the water.
NARRATOR: Frances will work the special laser measuring device
while Mike tries to entice the shark.
They size up two different tigers in the distance,
the smaller juvenile,
and the larger adult.
♪ ♪
MIKE: Here it comes!
♪ ♪
MIKE: Whew, it is a little chaotic with the smaller sharks.
So stay right on my shoulder,
try to get the lasers kind of when they're a
little bit further away,
and then I'll see what I can do to get the bite pad.
But, uh, I will say I'm very glad we have
three safety divers.
FRANCES: Indeed.
MIKE: Here we go.
There's one.
♪ ♪
Oh, so close!
FRANCES: I know.
So right now we are looking at a couple of different
tiger shark individuals here.
The big one, she's over 14 feet,
she's beautiful and massive.
Her name is Nikki.
And we have a couple smaller juveniles as well.
Now we've gotten Nikki to bite the bite pad a couple of times,
put it in her mouth, but she's not actually taking
a good proper bite.
So we're gonna see if we can't get her to take a nice
big chomp out of that pad.
MIKE: Time’s running out.
FRANCES: So I will watch your back,
make sure to get as many laser shots as possible.
MIKE: Think we’ve only got about one or two more
shots at this.
FRANCES: Let’s make this happen.
MIKE: Here we go.
NARRATOR: The team gets into position.
The tigers surround the divers.
(cheering).
MIKE: Yes, that is fantastic!
The sharks are, they're so calm, but when she came up,
she just got ahold of it.
A few shakes of the head and straight through.
You can see the size of that bite.
This is exactly the kind of thing we need.
We know how long she is from the lasers data you got.
So that’s going to let us get an idea whether it’s tiger sharks
that bit those humpback whales,
and about how big those sharks might be.
Oh, that is just fantastic.
FRANCES: I'm so excited.
MIKE: Yeah, tiger sharks are incredible predators,
but they’re also pretty famous for their scavenging abilities.
Here in Hawaii,
there are some major opportunities for scavenging.
These humpback whales that are out here are giving birth,
and so the placenta in the water can be a potential
source of food.
A dead whale is really a bonanza for tiger sharks.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if they go
after a calf that’s sick, injured,
or maybe gets too far away from mom.
MIKE: Look at the size of that bite.
FRANCES: Beautiful and it fits together like a puzzle piece.
MIKE: You can easily see we're going to be able to
measure the width of that bite.
But, it was not one clean bite.
FRANCES: No, you can see,
she gnawed at it a little bit there.
MIKE: Well, you think about how those teeth are built.
They're not really built for puncturing in.
They really do have to slice.
And you see she must have, like, bit once,
and opened her mouth a bit because you got this
series of tooth marks there.
Tooth and then, she really gets a hold of it.
And the cool thing...
Look at that, you can just see.
FRANCES: The ripples there and the striations from
the serrated teeth.
MIKE: Yeah.
And then how she whipped her head back and forth from
the kind of pattern, that is really incredible.
A tiger shark can cut through a turtle shell with those teeth.
Getting through the tail of a humpback whale,
certainly doable.
When you look at the size of the bites on those pads from
tiger sharks that were more than 11 feet long and
then look at the scar on that humpback whale,
it tells us that the sharks that went after that whale were
really big, 12, 13 feet, maybe even bigger.
NARRATOR: Born out of violence...
Hawaii's shores now nurture...
Protect...
And attract a creature as powerful and feared as the
volcanoes that call to them.
MIKE: It's really obvious why these volcanic islands of
Hawaii are such an amazing place for sharks.
They provide an incredible array of habitat in the middle
of a veritable desert.
And there's a buffet table for species of all shapes and sizes
and places where they can grow up safe.
FRANCES: We have had the opportunity to see a lot of
incredible sharks out here in Hawaii,
and I think it's pretty clear why sharks call Hawaii home.
Hawaii has everything sharks need to survive and thrive.
Captioned by Cotter Media Group.