Shark vs. Tuna (2018) Movie Script
An ancient arena
for ocean giants.
In one corner,
enormous yellowfin tuna,
nearly twice the length
of a man,
weighing over 800 pounds.
One of the fastest fish
in the ocean.
In the other corner,
sharks; thousands of them.
Crushing teeth,
lightning-fast speed,
and street-gang numbers.
But the tuna remain
one step ahead.
This is Shark vs. Tuna.
Some call it The Rock.
A Jurassic Park lost
in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Over 1,000 miles from land
in any direction,
this is Ascension Island,
Darwin's best-kept secret.
Everything that lives here
or stops here
is either hunter or hunted.
Ascension plays host to one
of nature's greatest showdowns.
Thousands of the ocean's
most deadly predators
arrive from far and wide
to fight it out in
a high-stakes battle royale.
Schools of jacks
dominate the drop-offs.
Thousands of green turtles
come here annually
to nest on the sandy beaches,
and swarms of huge
predatory fish
like barracuda, marlin and
wahoo lurk in the open water.
But no one is safe.
Except maybe this
enormous yellowfin tuna.
This super fish
normally lives life
in the desert of the open ocean
where food is scarce.
But every Easter,
Ascension Island becomes
an oasis for giant tuna
migrating across the Atlantic.
It's one of the largest
concentrations
of yellowfin in the world.
To get in and out
of The Rock alive,
you must be big,
smart and fast.
Despite being near the top
of the food chain,
tuna are a favorite meal
for sharks,
if they can catch them.
So not only must the yellowfin
be an exceptional predator,
it must be a wily
escape artist, too.
The average yellowfin
is by no means small,
but Ascension is
home to giants.
Nearly twice
the length of a man
and as heavy as a horse,
this is one of the fastest fish
in the ocean.
Even the US Navy studied it as
a model for submersible drones.
Built for speed,
the tuna's gills are over
30 times larger than
other fish its size,
to draw in more oxygen.
And its heart is 10 times
bigger with a faster heartbeat.
Like the great white shark,
the yellowfin is warm-blooded,
which allows it to swim
faster for longer
and exploit the colder,
deeper waters
where other predators
can't hunt.
Little can keep up with or
escape this turbocharged fish.
And their next feeding stop
is Ascension Island.
The tuna's arrival
acts like a dinner bell
for some of the ocean's
fiercest marine predators.
At this time of year,
the tuna are set to run
a gauntlet of sharks.
And they aren't the only ones
that want a piece of the tuna.
Tales of Ascension's
big game fish
attract sports fishermen
and trophy hunters
from all over the world.
Of all the fish
they target here,
the giant yellowfin
is highly prized.
Some carry a $20,000 paycheck.
The wily tuna doesn't take
the bait this time;
an eight-foot wahoo does.
Below the surface, the fish's
struggles are a call to arms.
At Ascension,
everyone's hungry.
In under a minute, a 120-pound
wahoo is obliterated.
They try to eat everything,
even the bony head.
With the sharks
distracted in frenzy,
the tuna escape,
but the battle lines are drawn.
These sharks mean business,
and there are
thousands of them.
Like the tuna, sharks ride
the South Atlantic current
to Ascension
in terrifying numbers.
Tigers, hammerheads and mako,
to the ever-increasing
sightings of Galapagos sharks,
each is locked in
an evolutionary arms race
with the tuna.
And right now,
no one knows who's winning.
The sharks patrol the beaches.
The Rock is under siege.
There is an abundance
of prey here,
but like the fishermen,
the sharks' holy grail
is the giant yellowfin.
After traveling thousands
of miles to get here,
these sharks are desperate
to replenish their reserves.
Tuna are jam-packed
with some of the richest,
fattiest meat in the ocean,
and an 800-pound yellowfin
is the jackpot.
But how on Earth will these
sharks successfully catch
and kill such formidable prey?
Yellowfin tuna are unbelievably
fast, powerful predators,
and for a shark,
incredibly hard to catch.
There are only
a handful of contenders
up for the tuna challenge.
To hunt these super fish,
you need extraordinary
predatory powers.
Meet the resident bad boy,
the Galapagos shark.
Ascension is their
local hunting ground,
and unlike the tuna
and migrant sharks,
they know this terrain like
the backs of their hands.
Most of them grew up here,
learning to hunt
in the shallow nurseries.
And in the last two years,
Galapagos sightings have
increased dramatically.
Despite reaching
12 feet in length,
this welterweight is
only half the size
of the giant yellowfin.
Its streamlined
and slender frame
does give this shark agility
and speed like the tuna,
but like its cousin,
the tiger shark,
the Galapagos has
more powerful jaws
and sharper, serrated teeth.
This allows for
a highly varied diet,
from bony fish and iguanas,
to sea lions,
and even each other.
But here at Ascension,
yellowfin remain
a number one prize.
Oily prey like tuna
leaves a scent signature
up to two miles away.
In the open blue water,
this Galapagos shark's
incredible sense of smell
could give it the edge.
Almost two-thirds of their
brain is dedicated to smell.
The nostrils, or nares,
are not required for breathing.
All the better
to smell you with.
10,000 times better
than humans.
Where the Galapagos shark
matches the tuna is in numbers.
Most sharks hunt alone, but
the Galapagos move in a mob,
a veritable street gang
of aggression.
They investigate anything that
may potentially become prey.
Like a school of piranhas,
competition drives them
to frenzy.
The Galapagos may be
fast, agile and aggressive,
and they may have the numbers,
but one-on-one,
they hardly stand a chance.
In the open ocean,
the giant tuna
are just too fast,
too strong and too big.
This underdog would have to do
something spectacular
to sink its teeth into one.
To win a giant tuna, you need
to put more on the table.
A heavyweight enters the ring.
The tiger shark.
Like its namesake, its striped
camouflage allows the tiger
to silently stalk prey,
virtually undetected.
Their stripes
may fade with age,
but killer instincts
and voracious appetites
stay with them for life.
This undisputed heavyweight
weighs nearly four times more
than the giant tuna
and reaches over half
the length of a school bus.
It has an arsenal of weaponry
to track, hunt and devour
massive prey.
These super-fast yellowfins
are no easy target,
so the tiger shark
will be on the lookout
for struggling young,
injured and old fish.
A large school offers
safety in numbers,
both to hunt and
to keep a lookout,
but you can't hide
from the tiger shark.
Two powerful internal ears
in its forehead pick up sound
from several miles away,
while specialized
reflective plates in the eyes
provide night vision
in low light.
And even if the tiger can't
see, smell or hear its prey,
it can still feel them.
Tracing the shark's body is
a thin, fluid-filled tube
known as the lateral line.
Like an ear, it's lined
with millions of tiny hairs
that react to any movement
in the water,
the kind of movement
created by feeding tunas.
This built-in tracking device
helps distinguish
large from small prey,
individual from school,
as well as the distance
and speed of its target.
Once the tiger
gets within range,
the tuna doesn't
stand a chance.
This juggernaut has the power
to crush a car.
It can eat anything,
from dolphins, rays and seals,
to whatever falls
into the water,
like birds, trash
and even people.
The tiger shark is responsible
for the most attacks
against humans,
second only to the great white.
This indiscriminate diet
is largely thanks
to their highly
specialized teeth.
This turtle, which
most likely succumbed
to the exhaustion of nesting,
may be too tough
for most sharks,
but for the tiger,
it's a welcome meal.
Unlike other sharks that have
a variety of teeth,
the tigers are
almost identical,
each working like
a circular saw.
The highly-serrated edge
cuts and slices through flesh,
and the large, razor-sharp cusp
hacks through bone and shell
while the curved shape
helps brace each tooth
against the powerful bite.
The tiger pulverizes
the turtle's bones and shell
to unlock marrow,
proteins and fats.
It's all tasty nutrition...
if you've got
the stomach for it.
The tiger's oversized gut is
lined with a muscular wall
nearly three times thicker
than other sharks'
and filled with enough acid
to handle a license plate.
The giant yellowfin
may be a prize catch,
but this scavenger can fill up
on any available food source
it finds at Ascension.
Yet despite all its raw power,
the tiger shark isn't fast
enough to catch a healthy tuna.
This tank can only swim
slightly faster
than an iceberg.
Even at its top speed
of 20 miles per hour,
it doesn't have
the stamina to keep up.
To catch these fish,
you need real speed,
and there is only
one shark fast enough.
As well as numbers,
the tuna also have exceptional
speed and endurance.
Thanks to their
fatigue-resistant muscles,
the giant tuna could finish
the Boston Marathon
in just over 30 minutes,
maxing out at
up to 47 miles per hour,
as fast as an American
quarter horse.
Maneuvering at such pace
requires military precision.
The tuna's bright yellow
finlets help reduce turbulence
while its fins retract
into modified grooves
to minimize drag.
And unlike any other creature,
the tuna uses its lymphatic
system like hydraulics
to stiffen its fins,
which allows for sharp turns
when chasing prey.
Life at super speed
requires fuel, lots of it.
Squid, mackerel, octopus,
and even other tuna
are all on the menu.
To satisfy this
insatiable hunger,
the yellowfin swim
nearly 20 miles a day
in search of large
schools of prey.
But here at Ascension,
the food is on tap.
They track prey by the smell
of the oil on its skin.
And once spotted,
the attacks are so fast,
if you blink, you'll miss it.
Like lions, the tuna
round up their prey,
making it easier to pick off.
As quickly as it began,
the frenzy is over.
It takes a thief
to catch a thief,
so who better than
the fastest shark in the world?
The shortfin mako.
This shark lives life
in the fast lane, literally.
Unable to pump water
over its gills,
the mako must keep
moving to stay alive.
In a 30-year lifetime,
this shark can swim
more than 15 times
around the world.
It's slightly smaller
than the tiger shark,
but every inch of this torpedo
from tip to tail
is evolved for speed.
As heavy as a grizzly,
faster than a jackrabbit.
It roams the vast, open ocean
at lightning speed
in search of its favorite prey:
bison-sized tuna.
Like its name suggests,
the shortfin mako has
short, pointed fins,
which help reduce drag and
allow for sharp, tight turns,
like a fighter jet, to counter
the tuna's evasive maneuvers.
Even its narrow, pointed snout
and long, recurved teeth
are modified for
hooking prey on the go.
One of the mako's
key adaptations
for its incredible speed is
its metallic-looking skin.
Very different than any other
animal or bony fish,
sharks are covered in thousands
of tiny, teeth-like scales.
Hard as granite,
strong as steel,
yet flexible like chainmail,
the mako's scales are smaller
and lighter than most sharks,
modified for speed
rather than protection.
Each hydrodynamic scale is
ridged to channel water,
which in turn reduces
turbulence and noise.
This shark can freewheel at
an incredible 35 miles per hour
in near complete silence.
But to catch giant tuna,
the mako must swim faster
than any other shark.
The secret to
its explosive speed
is hidden deep within its body.
Sharks like the tiger are
powered by swimming muscles
that run along the sides
of their bodies,
producing a slow,
snakelike movement.
While in the mako and the tuna,
these same muscles
are positioned closer
to the backbone.
They act like
a pair of pistons,
much like an engine
for a speedboat propeller.
These muscles reduce
the mako's lateral movements
and focus all the raw power
directly to its tail.
Even their hydrofoil tails
are modified for maximum speed.
Unlike most sharks, the mako's
upper lobe is almost identical
in size and shape
to the lower lobe.
This allows them
to catch more water
when swimming, optimizing
full acceleration.
So the shortfin mako
has the raw speed
to ambush the giant tunas,
but the yellowfin
has a trump card.
It's game on.
Two of the ocean's
fastest predators
are locked in
a battle of speed.
The mako plays its final hand.
This shark can raise
its body temperature
18 degrees above
that of the water,
increasing its
hunting abilities,
muscle efficiency and power.
The mako shifts up
into turbo drive,
closing the gap,
but the tuna has a few tricks
up its sleeve, too.
In a surprise twist,
everything the mako can do,
so can the tuna.
Through convergent evolution,
the yellowfin is also optimized
to hunt at speed.
Just like the mako,
the tuna's torpedo-shaped body
is also coated with
small scales to reduce drag,
and its short, pointed fins
also allow for sharp,
evasive maneuvers.
The tuna also has modified
swimming muscles
to minimize body movement
and provide maximum power
to a similar
near-symmetrical tail.
And like the mako,
the tuna can warm its blood
to turbocharge its muscles.
Mako meets its match.
On paper, the mako
has the speed,
but the overwhelming
numbers of tuna
create distraction
in the chase.
Unable to lock on to a target,
the mako steps off the gas.
Like Houdini,
the tunas escape once again,
and the mako folds.
This elusive super fish gives
the sharks of Ascension
a run for their money.
But there is one threat
the tuna cannot escape from...
a predator that doesn't
play by the rules...
man.
Although yellowfin
are near threatened,
they remain
a highly prized catch,
both commercially
and for sport.
Anglers, spearfishermen
and trophy hunters
from all around the world
believe that giant yellowfin
are, pound for pound,
the fastest and strongest
of all big game tunas.
But it takes
ingenuity, patience,
and sheer luck to land one.
Such a formidable predator
has gained the respect
and honor of battle,
and each year more and more
fishermen arrive at Ascension
stealing the tuna from
right under the sharks' noses.
It can take eons for animals
to learn new behaviors,
but more intelligent creatures
can adapt much faster,
sometimes within just
a few generations.
One such species is
the Galapagos sharks.
Experts believe these
resourceful predators
have learned to make
a crucial connection
between the giant tuna
and the fishing boats.
The Galapagos may not be
as fast as the mako
or as strong as the tiger,
but this dangerously smart
predator has a hunting hack,
and they plan to use man
to help them out.
Man is a creature of habit,
and fishermen always do
the same thing every day.
They head out at the same time.
They use the same bait.
And select the same lures.
They trawl the same
successful spots,
targeting the exact fish
that the sharks yearn for.
Day after day, the inquisitive
Galapagos sharks
take advantage of this monotony
and start
to learn the patterns.
Like a hive mind, they begin
to associate triggers,
sight, sounds and smells
of struggling fish.
The hum of a boat motor,
the scent of bait in the water,
or even the snap
of a speargun's elastic
means it's time to feed.
The sharks work out
that 20 minutes
after a boat arrives,
a fish is usually on the line.
Forget Pavlov's dogs;
meet Pavlov's sharks.
Some fishermen will do anything
to cash in on a yellowfin,
and the bigger the risk,
the bigger the reward.
But entering these waters
could cost you your life.
Miles out to sea,
this spearfisherman is alone...
or so he thinks.
He baits the water to draw
the yellowfin up from the deep.
But this free food doesn't
only attract the tuna.
Several miles away, a pack of
hungry Galapagos smell it, too.
With chum in the water,
the diver knows he only has
a short window of opportunity
before the sharks find him.
Every minute he stays here,
the more he puts
his life at risk.
Who will arrive first?
Tuna?
Or sharks?
Dark shapes appear below.
It's the yellowfin,
and they're big.
They won't hang around
for long.
Should he risk it?
One good-sized tuna could
pay the bills for a year.
The tuna may be big,
but they're so fast,
he can't get a clean shot.
The longer the diver
stays in the water,
the more chance the hunter
may become the hunted.
He lines up.
A direct hit.
The tuna dives.
Now he's fighting
a 200-pound lump of muscle.
His second spear just
seems to enrage
the powerful fish further.
The more
the yellowfin struggles,
the clearer the signal is
to the sharks:
Food is served.
The spearfisherman must hurry,
but this tuna shows
no signs of tiring.
Too late.
The first wave
of Galapagos arrives.
They want the tuna,
and will happily go
through man to get it.
The more it struggles, the more
excited the sharks become.
The spearfisherman escapes
with his tuna and his life.
The hungry sharks are left
with nothing but the scraps
of his bait bag.
Perhaps it was this
distraction of free food
or that only a handful
of sharks arrived
that enabled the diver's
lucky escape.
The fishermen have yet
to hook a giant tuna.
It's too dangerous to
get back in the water.
The only safe way to catch one
is from the boat.
Could this be the opportunity
the sharks have been
waiting for?
For the Galapagos,
it's double or nothing.
It's the end of July,
and the giant tuna are here.
These yellowfins
are super fast,
immensely strong and can grow
to well over 800 pounds,
making them even
harder to catch.
They are what everyone wants.
For man, a giant yellowfin is
worth thousands of dollars
and one of the ultimate
fishing trophies.
For the sharks that traveled
all the way to Ascension,
the giant tuna is
their meal ticket home.
Ascension is now
the perfect storm of predators.
But who will win?
The enormous tiger shark
is just too slow
to step up to the plate.
The mako may have supreme
speed and agility,
but so does the giant tuna.
It's the Galapagos mob
that has the best chance
of a successful hunt.
A shark is dangerous enough,
but an intelligent shark
is deadly.
The Galapagos is
smart on its own,
and here at Ascension,
there are thousands of them.
This is their domain,
and it's time to take it back.
Most flee and hide from
the approaching fishermen,
but for the clever Galapagos,
it's a dinner bell.
Lures are rigged,
the lines are set.
It's a waiting game for all.
Shapes appear in the deep.
A giant tuna takes the bait.
The dinner bell is ringing.
It's like the wahoo massacre,
but this meal is as big
as some of the sharks.
The giant yellowfin
begins to tire.
The first Galapagos moves in.
For the fishermen, it's a race
to get the prize catch
onto the safety of the boat.
But the tuna is too strong.
The Galapagos start to swarm.
One dominant shark
gets the first taste.
Thick, warm blood will
attract the masses.
Covering the shark's snout
are thousands of what
appear to be blackheads,
but they're really like
built-in volt meters
picking up the minute
electrical signature
and even the heartbeat of prey.
This sixth sense is
the most acute sensory system
in the animal kingdom.
The salt from the tuna's blood
increases the intensity
of the electrical field
surrounding the fish,
which is why a shark will
continue to target and attack
only the injured victim.
Excitement soon
turns to frenzy.
Tuna is survival
to the Galapagos shark.
In less than a minute,
a 350-pound fish vanishes.
The fishermen leave with
nothing but a broken line.
The Galapagos sharks
rule The Rock.
for ocean giants.
In one corner,
enormous yellowfin tuna,
nearly twice the length
of a man,
weighing over 800 pounds.
One of the fastest fish
in the ocean.
In the other corner,
sharks; thousands of them.
Crushing teeth,
lightning-fast speed,
and street-gang numbers.
But the tuna remain
one step ahead.
This is Shark vs. Tuna.
Some call it The Rock.
A Jurassic Park lost
in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Over 1,000 miles from land
in any direction,
this is Ascension Island,
Darwin's best-kept secret.
Everything that lives here
or stops here
is either hunter or hunted.
Ascension plays host to one
of nature's greatest showdowns.
Thousands of the ocean's
most deadly predators
arrive from far and wide
to fight it out in
a high-stakes battle royale.
Schools of jacks
dominate the drop-offs.
Thousands of green turtles
come here annually
to nest on the sandy beaches,
and swarms of huge
predatory fish
like barracuda, marlin and
wahoo lurk in the open water.
But no one is safe.
Except maybe this
enormous yellowfin tuna.
This super fish
normally lives life
in the desert of the open ocean
where food is scarce.
But every Easter,
Ascension Island becomes
an oasis for giant tuna
migrating across the Atlantic.
It's one of the largest
concentrations
of yellowfin in the world.
To get in and out
of The Rock alive,
you must be big,
smart and fast.
Despite being near the top
of the food chain,
tuna are a favorite meal
for sharks,
if they can catch them.
So not only must the yellowfin
be an exceptional predator,
it must be a wily
escape artist, too.
The average yellowfin
is by no means small,
but Ascension is
home to giants.
Nearly twice
the length of a man
and as heavy as a horse,
this is one of the fastest fish
in the ocean.
Even the US Navy studied it as
a model for submersible drones.
Built for speed,
the tuna's gills are over
30 times larger than
other fish its size,
to draw in more oxygen.
And its heart is 10 times
bigger with a faster heartbeat.
Like the great white shark,
the yellowfin is warm-blooded,
which allows it to swim
faster for longer
and exploit the colder,
deeper waters
where other predators
can't hunt.
Little can keep up with or
escape this turbocharged fish.
And their next feeding stop
is Ascension Island.
The tuna's arrival
acts like a dinner bell
for some of the ocean's
fiercest marine predators.
At this time of year,
the tuna are set to run
a gauntlet of sharks.
And they aren't the only ones
that want a piece of the tuna.
Tales of Ascension's
big game fish
attract sports fishermen
and trophy hunters
from all over the world.
Of all the fish
they target here,
the giant yellowfin
is highly prized.
Some carry a $20,000 paycheck.
The wily tuna doesn't take
the bait this time;
an eight-foot wahoo does.
Below the surface, the fish's
struggles are a call to arms.
At Ascension,
everyone's hungry.
In under a minute, a 120-pound
wahoo is obliterated.
They try to eat everything,
even the bony head.
With the sharks
distracted in frenzy,
the tuna escape,
but the battle lines are drawn.
These sharks mean business,
and there are
thousands of them.
Like the tuna, sharks ride
the South Atlantic current
to Ascension
in terrifying numbers.
Tigers, hammerheads and mako,
to the ever-increasing
sightings of Galapagos sharks,
each is locked in
an evolutionary arms race
with the tuna.
And right now,
no one knows who's winning.
The sharks patrol the beaches.
The Rock is under siege.
There is an abundance
of prey here,
but like the fishermen,
the sharks' holy grail
is the giant yellowfin.
After traveling thousands
of miles to get here,
these sharks are desperate
to replenish their reserves.
Tuna are jam-packed
with some of the richest,
fattiest meat in the ocean,
and an 800-pound yellowfin
is the jackpot.
But how on Earth will these
sharks successfully catch
and kill such formidable prey?
Yellowfin tuna are unbelievably
fast, powerful predators,
and for a shark,
incredibly hard to catch.
There are only
a handful of contenders
up for the tuna challenge.
To hunt these super fish,
you need extraordinary
predatory powers.
Meet the resident bad boy,
the Galapagos shark.
Ascension is their
local hunting ground,
and unlike the tuna
and migrant sharks,
they know this terrain like
the backs of their hands.
Most of them grew up here,
learning to hunt
in the shallow nurseries.
And in the last two years,
Galapagos sightings have
increased dramatically.
Despite reaching
12 feet in length,
this welterweight is
only half the size
of the giant yellowfin.
Its streamlined
and slender frame
does give this shark agility
and speed like the tuna,
but like its cousin,
the tiger shark,
the Galapagos has
more powerful jaws
and sharper, serrated teeth.
This allows for
a highly varied diet,
from bony fish and iguanas,
to sea lions,
and even each other.
But here at Ascension,
yellowfin remain
a number one prize.
Oily prey like tuna
leaves a scent signature
up to two miles away.
In the open blue water,
this Galapagos shark's
incredible sense of smell
could give it the edge.
Almost two-thirds of their
brain is dedicated to smell.
The nostrils, or nares,
are not required for breathing.
All the better
to smell you with.
10,000 times better
than humans.
Where the Galapagos shark
matches the tuna is in numbers.
Most sharks hunt alone, but
the Galapagos move in a mob,
a veritable street gang
of aggression.
They investigate anything that
may potentially become prey.
Like a school of piranhas,
competition drives them
to frenzy.
The Galapagos may be
fast, agile and aggressive,
and they may have the numbers,
but one-on-one,
they hardly stand a chance.
In the open ocean,
the giant tuna
are just too fast,
too strong and too big.
This underdog would have to do
something spectacular
to sink its teeth into one.
To win a giant tuna, you need
to put more on the table.
A heavyweight enters the ring.
The tiger shark.
Like its namesake, its striped
camouflage allows the tiger
to silently stalk prey,
virtually undetected.
Their stripes
may fade with age,
but killer instincts
and voracious appetites
stay with them for life.
This undisputed heavyweight
weighs nearly four times more
than the giant tuna
and reaches over half
the length of a school bus.
It has an arsenal of weaponry
to track, hunt and devour
massive prey.
These super-fast yellowfins
are no easy target,
so the tiger shark
will be on the lookout
for struggling young,
injured and old fish.
A large school offers
safety in numbers,
both to hunt and
to keep a lookout,
but you can't hide
from the tiger shark.
Two powerful internal ears
in its forehead pick up sound
from several miles away,
while specialized
reflective plates in the eyes
provide night vision
in low light.
And even if the tiger can't
see, smell or hear its prey,
it can still feel them.
Tracing the shark's body is
a thin, fluid-filled tube
known as the lateral line.
Like an ear, it's lined
with millions of tiny hairs
that react to any movement
in the water,
the kind of movement
created by feeding tunas.
This built-in tracking device
helps distinguish
large from small prey,
individual from school,
as well as the distance
and speed of its target.
Once the tiger
gets within range,
the tuna doesn't
stand a chance.
This juggernaut has the power
to crush a car.
It can eat anything,
from dolphins, rays and seals,
to whatever falls
into the water,
like birds, trash
and even people.
The tiger shark is responsible
for the most attacks
against humans,
second only to the great white.
This indiscriminate diet
is largely thanks
to their highly
specialized teeth.
This turtle, which
most likely succumbed
to the exhaustion of nesting,
may be too tough
for most sharks,
but for the tiger,
it's a welcome meal.
Unlike other sharks that have
a variety of teeth,
the tigers are
almost identical,
each working like
a circular saw.
The highly-serrated edge
cuts and slices through flesh,
and the large, razor-sharp cusp
hacks through bone and shell
while the curved shape
helps brace each tooth
against the powerful bite.
The tiger pulverizes
the turtle's bones and shell
to unlock marrow,
proteins and fats.
It's all tasty nutrition...
if you've got
the stomach for it.
The tiger's oversized gut is
lined with a muscular wall
nearly three times thicker
than other sharks'
and filled with enough acid
to handle a license plate.
The giant yellowfin
may be a prize catch,
but this scavenger can fill up
on any available food source
it finds at Ascension.
Yet despite all its raw power,
the tiger shark isn't fast
enough to catch a healthy tuna.
This tank can only swim
slightly faster
than an iceberg.
Even at its top speed
of 20 miles per hour,
it doesn't have
the stamina to keep up.
To catch these fish,
you need real speed,
and there is only
one shark fast enough.
As well as numbers,
the tuna also have exceptional
speed and endurance.
Thanks to their
fatigue-resistant muscles,
the giant tuna could finish
the Boston Marathon
in just over 30 minutes,
maxing out at
up to 47 miles per hour,
as fast as an American
quarter horse.
Maneuvering at such pace
requires military precision.
The tuna's bright yellow
finlets help reduce turbulence
while its fins retract
into modified grooves
to minimize drag.
And unlike any other creature,
the tuna uses its lymphatic
system like hydraulics
to stiffen its fins,
which allows for sharp turns
when chasing prey.
Life at super speed
requires fuel, lots of it.
Squid, mackerel, octopus,
and even other tuna
are all on the menu.
To satisfy this
insatiable hunger,
the yellowfin swim
nearly 20 miles a day
in search of large
schools of prey.
But here at Ascension,
the food is on tap.
They track prey by the smell
of the oil on its skin.
And once spotted,
the attacks are so fast,
if you blink, you'll miss it.
Like lions, the tuna
round up their prey,
making it easier to pick off.
As quickly as it began,
the frenzy is over.
It takes a thief
to catch a thief,
so who better than
the fastest shark in the world?
The shortfin mako.
This shark lives life
in the fast lane, literally.
Unable to pump water
over its gills,
the mako must keep
moving to stay alive.
In a 30-year lifetime,
this shark can swim
more than 15 times
around the world.
It's slightly smaller
than the tiger shark,
but every inch of this torpedo
from tip to tail
is evolved for speed.
As heavy as a grizzly,
faster than a jackrabbit.
It roams the vast, open ocean
at lightning speed
in search of its favorite prey:
bison-sized tuna.
Like its name suggests,
the shortfin mako has
short, pointed fins,
which help reduce drag and
allow for sharp, tight turns,
like a fighter jet, to counter
the tuna's evasive maneuvers.
Even its narrow, pointed snout
and long, recurved teeth
are modified for
hooking prey on the go.
One of the mako's
key adaptations
for its incredible speed is
its metallic-looking skin.
Very different than any other
animal or bony fish,
sharks are covered in thousands
of tiny, teeth-like scales.
Hard as granite,
strong as steel,
yet flexible like chainmail,
the mako's scales are smaller
and lighter than most sharks,
modified for speed
rather than protection.
Each hydrodynamic scale is
ridged to channel water,
which in turn reduces
turbulence and noise.
This shark can freewheel at
an incredible 35 miles per hour
in near complete silence.
But to catch giant tuna,
the mako must swim faster
than any other shark.
The secret to
its explosive speed
is hidden deep within its body.
Sharks like the tiger are
powered by swimming muscles
that run along the sides
of their bodies,
producing a slow,
snakelike movement.
While in the mako and the tuna,
these same muscles
are positioned closer
to the backbone.
They act like
a pair of pistons,
much like an engine
for a speedboat propeller.
These muscles reduce
the mako's lateral movements
and focus all the raw power
directly to its tail.
Even their hydrofoil tails
are modified for maximum speed.
Unlike most sharks, the mako's
upper lobe is almost identical
in size and shape
to the lower lobe.
This allows them
to catch more water
when swimming, optimizing
full acceleration.
So the shortfin mako
has the raw speed
to ambush the giant tunas,
but the yellowfin
has a trump card.
It's game on.
Two of the ocean's
fastest predators
are locked in
a battle of speed.
The mako plays its final hand.
This shark can raise
its body temperature
18 degrees above
that of the water,
increasing its
hunting abilities,
muscle efficiency and power.
The mako shifts up
into turbo drive,
closing the gap,
but the tuna has a few tricks
up its sleeve, too.
In a surprise twist,
everything the mako can do,
so can the tuna.
Through convergent evolution,
the yellowfin is also optimized
to hunt at speed.
Just like the mako,
the tuna's torpedo-shaped body
is also coated with
small scales to reduce drag,
and its short, pointed fins
also allow for sharp,
evasive maneuvers.
The tuna also has modified
swimming muscles
to minimize body movement
and provide maximum power
to a similar
near-symmetrical tail.
And like the mako,
the tuna can warm its blood
to turbocharge its muscles.
Mako meets its match.
On paper, the mako
has the speed,
but the overwhelming
numbers of tuna
create distraction
in the chase.
Unable to lock on to a target,
the mako steps off the gas.
Like Houdini,
the tunas escape once again,
and the mako folds.
This elusive super fish gives
the sharks of Ascension
a run for their money.
But there is one threat
the tuna cannot escape from...
a predator that doesn't
play by the rules...
man.
Although yellowfin
are near threatened,
they remain
a highly prized catch,
both commercially
and for sport.
Anglers, spearfishermen
and trophy hunters
from all around the world
believe that giant yellowfin
are, pound for pound,
the fastest and strongest
of all big game tunas.
But it takes
ingenuity, patience,
and sheer luck to land one.
Such a formidable predator
has gained the respect
and honor of battle,
and each year more and more
fishermen arrive at Ascension
stealing the tuna from
right under the sharks' noses.
It can take eons for animals
to learn new behaviors,
but more intelligent creatures
can adapt much faster,
sometimes within just
a few generations.
One such species is
the Galapagos sharks.
Experts believe these
resourceful predators
have learned to make
a crucial connection
between the giant tuna
and the fishing boats.
The Galapagos may not be
as fast as the mako
or as strong as the tiger,
but this dangerously smart
predator has a hunting hack,
and they plan to use man
to help them out.
Man is a creature of habit,
and fishermen always do
the same thing every day.
They head out at the same time.
They use the same bait.
And select the same lures.
They trawl the same
successful spots,
targeting the exact fish
that the sharks yearn for.
Day after day, the inquisitive
Galapagos sharks
take advantage of this monotony
and start
to learn the patterns.
Like a hive mind, they begin
to associate triggers,
sight, sounds and smells
of struggling fish.
The hum of a boat motor,
the scent of bait in the water,
or even the snap
of a speargun's elastic
means it's time to feed.
The sharks work out
that 20 minutes
after a boat arrives,
a fish is usually on the line.
Forget Pavlov's dogs;
meet Pavlov's sharks.
Some fishermen will do anything
to cash in on a yellowfin,
and the bigger the risk,
the bigger the reward.
But entering these waters
could cost you your life.
Miles out to sea,
this spearfisherman is alone...
or so he thinks.
He baits the water to draw
the yellowfin up from the deep.
But this free food doesn't
only attract the tuna.
Several miles away, a pack of
hungry Galapagos smell it, too.
With chum in the water,
the diver knows he only has
a short window of opportunity
before the sharks find him.
Every minute he stays here,
the more he puts
his life at risk.
Who will arrive first?
Tuna?
Or sharks?
Dark shapes appear below.
It's the yellowfin,
and they're big.
They won't hang around
for long.
Should he risk it?
One good-sized tuna could
pay the bills for a year.
The tuna may be big,
but they're so fast,
he can't get a clean shot.
The longer the diver
stays in the water,
the more chance the hunter
may become the hunted.
He lines up.
A direct hit.
The tuna dives.
Now he's fighting
a 200-pound lump of muscle.
His second spear just
seems to enrage
the powerful fish further.
The more
the yellowfin struggles,
the clearer the signal is
to the sharks:
Food is served.
The spearfisherman must hurry,
but this tuna shows
no signs of tiring.
Too late.
The first wave
of Galapagos arrives.
They want the tuna,
and will happily go
through man to get it.
The more it struggles, the more
excited the sharks become.
The spearfisherman escapes
with his tuna and his life.
The hungry sharks are left
with nothing but the scraps
of his bait bag.
Perhaps it was this
distraction of free food
or that only a handful
of sharks arrived
that enabled the diver's
lucky escape.
The fishermen have yet
to hook a giant tuna.
It's too dangerous to
get back in the water.
The only safe way to catch one
is from the boat.
Could this be the opportunity
the sharks have been
waiting for?
For the Galapagos,
it's double or nothing.
It's the end of July,
and the giant tuna are here.
These yellowfins
are super fast,
immensely strong and can grow
to well over 800 pounds,
making them even
harder to catch.
They are what everyone wants.
For man, a giant yellowfin is
worth thousands of dollars
and one of the ultimate
fishing trophies.
For the sharks that traveled
all the way to Ascension,
the giant tuna is
their meal ticket home.
Ascension is now
the perfect storm of predators.
But who will win?
The enormous tiger shark
is just too slow
to step up to the plate.
The mako may have supreme
speed and agility,
but so does the giant tuna.
It's the Galapagos mob
that has the best chance
of a successful hunt.
A shark is dangerous enough,
but an intelligent shark
is deadly.
The Galapagos is
smart on its own,
and here at Ascension,
there are thousands of them.
This is their domain,
and it's time to take it back.
Most flee and hide from
the approaching fishermen,
but for the clever Galapagos,
it's a dinner bell.
Lures are rigged,
the lines are set.
It's a waiting game for all.
Shapes appear in the deep.
A giant tuna takes the bait.
The dinner bell is ringing.
It's like the wahoo massacre,
but this meal is as big
as some of the sharks.
The giant yellowfin
begins to tire.
The first Galapagos moves in.
For the fishermen, it's a race
to get the prize catch
onto the safety of the boat.
But the tuna is too strong.
The Galapagos start to swarm.
One dominant shark
gets the first taste.
Thick, warm blood will
attract the masses.
Covering the shark's snout
are thousands of what
appear to be blackheads,
but they're really like
built-in volt meters
picking up the minute
electrical signature
and even the heartbeat of prey.
This sixth sense is
the most acute sensory system
in the animal kingdom.
The salt from the tuna's blood
increases the intensity
of the electrical field
surrounding the fish,
which is why a shark will
continue to target and attack
only the injured victim.
Excitement soon
turns to frenzy.
Tuna is survival
to the Galapagos shark.
In less than a minute,
a 350-pound fish vanishes.
The fishermen leave with
nothing but a broken line.
The Galapagos sharks
rule The Rock.