Sharkcano: Hawaii (2023) Movie Script
NARRATOR: Through fire...
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: Hawaiis
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.
Theres 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.
Theres a bigger one that
has bites on the flanks but
shes pretty shy.
FRANCES: Ive 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, Id say we got
enough to look for those scars
so lets, 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,
theyre 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
theres no food in the water
here near the cameras.
These are just swimming around,
so thats 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.
Ill 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,
thats 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 theyre asleep,
theyre fully awake.
MIKE: When theyre resting,
youll 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 dont have to
worry about getting swept away.
NARRATOR: Its 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 its tough for us
to duck our heads in,
theres 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,
lets 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,
lets 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 weve 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 oclock!
Yeah, thats 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 thats one reason that
10,000 whales swim up to
100 miles a day.
But when they get here,
theres 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 Hawaiis
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: Were here with
a mother and calf pair,
and this is exactly what
weve been looking for.
Were 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 thats what this is.
There are two lasers that are
spaced 7.5 centimeters apart,
it doesnt 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 Id 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.
Well have to get in the water.
But, you know, thats 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: Theyve
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,
lets 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: Times running out.
FRANCES: So I will
watch your back,
make sure to get as many
laser shots as possible.
MIKE: Think weve only
got about one or two more
shots at this.
FRANCES: Lets 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 thats going to let us get an
idea whether its 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 theyre 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 wouldnt be
surprised if they go
after a calf
thats 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.
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: Hawaiis
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.
Theres 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.
Theres a bigger one that
has bites on the flanks but
shes pretty shy.
FRANCES: Ive 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, Id say we got
enough to look for those scars
so lets, 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,
theyre 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
theres no food in the water
here near the cameras.
These are just swimming around,
so thats 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.
Ill 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,
thats 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 theyre asleep,
theyre fully awake.
MIKE: When theyre resting,
youll 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 dont have to
worry about getting swept away.
NARRATOR: Its 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 its tough for us
to duck our heads in,
theres 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,
lets 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,
lets 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 weve 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 oclock!
Yeah, thats 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 thats one reason that
10,000 whales swim up to
100 miles a day.
But when they get here,
theres 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 Hawaiis
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: Were here with
a mother and calf pair,
and this is exactly what
weve been looking for.
Were 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 thats what this is.
There are two lasers that are
spaced 7.5 centimeters apart,
it doesnt 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 Id 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.
Well have to get in the water.
But, you know, thats 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: Theyve
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,
lets 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: Times running out.
FRANCES: So I will
watch your back,
make sure to get as many
laser shots as possible.
MIKE: Think weve only
got about one or two more
shots at this.
FRANCES: Lets 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 thats going to let us get an
idea whether its 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 theyre 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 wouldnt be
surprised if they go
after a calf
thats 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.