Every day in Southern California, a scene like this occurs.
Humans and great white sharks in close proximity.
Most of the time, humans have no idea a shark is nearby.
Watch as this shark approaches the surfers.
The shark comes within a meter of the surfers foot without so much as a hint that it was
ever there.
It is only through this view from above that it’s noticeable.
I’ve observed White sharks of all sizes near humans in Southern California and Mexico.
It can be said that white sharks a vast majority of the time do not want anything to do with
humans.
It can also be observed that sharks are constantly gathering information about their environment
using their various senses, much like land based animals.
But there is an advantage for sharks.
Whereas, land based animals typically have 5 senses that include sight, hearing, touch,
smell and taste.
Sharks have two other senses, mediated by specialized receptors: electroreceptors and
lateral lines.
This is a secret weapon in their snouts that helps them hunt prey.
It’s an organ that can sense faint electrical signals given off by other creatures that
may be a meal.
Especially creatures in distress.
This would explain why this shark is clearly interested in this fishermans catch.
The distressed fish signals a meal to this shark.
Current research suggests that a shark's most acute sense however, may be their hearing
abilities, it is the one it may use to detect prey from the greatest distance.
Their hearing abilities combined with their electroreceptors may be the most effective
combination in the animal kingdom.
This begs the question, at which point do they ascertain the identity of a human being?
Did this shark hear the splash as the paddleboarder falls?
What do you think?
Do the sounds humans emit via their various water activities create a signature sound
shark use to identify humans?
As more and more research is conducted regarding the unique abilities sharks possess, one aspect
of their additional senses is posing new questions about how sharks navigate and what that means
for humans, and human developments in and near the ocean.
Every year, white sharks and multiple species of sharks make extremely long journeys to
and from precise locations.
I’ve often wondered, how many of the sharks I film are able to find the exact same nursery
year after year.
It’s well known that Eastern Pacific white shark populations travel to and from a location
known as “white shark cafe” thousands of miles into the pacific between Hawaii and
California.
It appears that white sharks, like many other species, are able to pinpoint locations across
the globe with uncanny precision.
Prior experiments have shown that sharks can indeed perceive and react to magnetic fields.
In theory, it’s possible that a shark's electromagnetic sensory abilities may be able
to use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.
Proving that is a whole other matter though.
Bryan Keller, a marine biologist at Florida State University, recently published a study
suggesting sharks may use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate.
The implications of such research could be monumental.
Understanding how sharks navigate in their environment may one day help us understand
if human activity can block or confuse the animals’ navigation abilities.
With the growth and complexity of offshore infrastructures such as wind turbines it may
be vital to understand this more thoroughly especially if such projects have big high-voltage
cables leading to shore.
Please visit the links in the video description below for a more in depth look at the research
involving sharks, Earth’s magnetic field, and the importance of understanding their
navigational functions.
As I continue to observe white sharks, I’m quickly learning that they are much more complex
creatures than I ever imagined.
While it’s the human and shark interactions that garner the most attention, I find the
beauty of two sharks interacting with each other is much more intriguing.
The following is a collection of shark to shark enteractions.
While it’s known that white sharks are predominately solitary creatures, studies suggest white
sharks co-occur at random, displaying no preferred or avoided associations for other individuals.
That doesn’t mean they don’t interact with each other, of course.
As an observer, I have on many occasions filmed the same sharks together for long periods
of time.
Whether it’s intentional or at random, this is one area where drone and aerial surveillance
can help gather data suggesting one way or the other.
Sharks have been around for millions of years, they have survived more mass extinction events
than any other species.
It’s safe to say, if there are no sharks, there probably are no humans either.
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