SAND TIGER SHARKS
AKA Ragged Tooth & Grey Nurse Sharks
Welcome to the Sand Tiger Shark web page. You
will find information about sharks in general and the Sand Tiger in particular as well as some great links to related web
sites.
My love of the Sand Tiger began in 1990 when they began to congregate in great numbers around the wreck of
the Papoose off the coast of North Carolina. They’ve always been there but their numbers have increased in recent years
and that’s where the fun begins. Imagine swimming side by side with an 8- or 9-foot shark. I have that chance every
time I dive into the ocean. As I swim along the upside down remains of the Papoose out of the curtains of bait fish approaches
the result of millions of years of evolution, the perfect eating machine, the Sand Tiger. There is no fear. I am amazed by
the grace and power of these fish. I am well aware that I would be a quick lunch for the Sand Tiger but fortunately the sharks
don’t know that. I’m just another clumsy noisy fish to them and besides wet suits don’t taste that great
anyway.
During the shooting of "Sand Tigers - Sentinels of the Deep" I had some wonderful encounters with these majestic creatures.
At one point I was kneeling in the sand 125 feet down with stern of the wreck over my head and beside me. The Sand Tigers
like this spot for some reason and it’s the first place I swim to when I want to do some videotaping. As they slowly
swam by I could feel other sharks bumping my tank from behind because they had so little room to move. There were easily 2
or 3 dozen sharks in a 50-foot radius and they were literally stacked everywhere with their noses pointed into the current.
I would catch large bronze colored shapes out of the corner of my eye only to see a 9-foot shark that outweighed me by hundreds
of pounds swim lazily by my leg or over my head.
-- Rick Allen
There are two basic approaches to shooting video or stills of sharks on the Papoose.
- Plant yourself in one spot and wait patiently - they will come. Be sure not to move quickly. You will startle them (really!)
and they will take off at Mach 3. Also, try to hold your breath when they are close. The sound of bubbles also seems to irritate
them.
- Swim slowly beside them and carefully close the distance between you and the shark. They don’t like you to get much
closer than about 2 feet and will take off if you get closer. If you swim directly at them they seem to see this as a threat
and will either turn away and head for open water or begin to give a threat display of their own.
How do you know if you’ve just ticked off a Sand Tiger? They begin to move in a more erratic way, they drop their
pectoral fins from a nearly horizontal position to a more vertical position, and they make quick passes at you. Leave the
area now! I’ve never seen a Sand Tiger attack but I’ll bet it’s no fun especially if you’re on the
receiving end. Remember, you are the most dangerous animal in the ocean. The sharks don’t mind you being there but if
you irritate them they will most likely react to protect themselves and that gives the shark an undeserved bad reputation.
