By Courtney Cooper
Unique Sharks Around the World
With over 500 species of shark globally, it’s interesting to know that most people are only familiar with a few, the Great White, Hammerhead, and the Bull Shark. This blog explores some of the more unique sharks that you might not have heard of before. We also discuss further shark facts that you might be interested in! Apex Shark Expeditions provides the best great white shark cage diving in Cape Town.
Unique Sharks Found Around the World
The Crocodile Shark
Measuring around 3 feet long and weighing up to 13 pounds, this shark is the smallest mackerel shark species. They are brown and grey with slim bodies and a short head, their eyes are large and reflective, appearing either green or yellow. They’re mainly found in the Atlantic in places such as Brazil and Southern Africa. The shark lives in the depths of the ocean during the day, and swims to the surface at night to feed. Like the Crocodile, they bite their prey aggressively above the surface. They get their name from their behaviour when taken out of water. They viciously snap their jaw, similar to that of the Crocodile. An interesting fact about this shark is that it was blamed for damaging the deep sea fiberoptic cables when they found their teeth left behind in 1985.
The Sleeper Shark
The Sleeper shark is a family of deep-sea predators and they can be found in all oceans. There are over 20 species of this shark which includes the Greenland Shark and the Pacific Sleeper Shark. They have an elongated body with their colouring ranging from blue-grey to brown. Their snouts are round, and they have two small dorsal fins. They are mainly known for their sluggish swimming style and mostly in deep water during the day. All Sleeper Sharks have an anti-freeze protein which allows them to survive in cold water. The Pacific Sleeper Shark is one of the most fascinating sharks, growing up to 23 feet long, this shark was filmed living underneath an active volcano near the Solomon Islands in 2015. These sharks are believed to have a lifespan of between 250 and 500 years.
The Epaulette Shark
This shark inhabits the waters of the northern shores of Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands. They are between 2 and 3 feet long and can live as long as 25 years. These sharks are bottom feeders and are found near sand and coral reefs. One of the most fascinating facts about his shark is its ability to walk on land! Using their pectoral and pelvis fins they are able to slow their breathing and patiently manoeuvre themselves on land. Although they can “walk” on land, these sharks aren’t going for long walks on the beach! They use this skill to aid them when they become stranded when the tides change. The Epaulette Shark has been observed spending up to 2 hours on land by conserving their oxygen.
Some sharks chew deep sea cables, some live under volcanos and others walk on land. The ocean is massive with so much more to discover. As the impact of climate change becomes more and more, these sharks are bound to evolve to survive. We also discuss interesting facts about how sharks communicate.
