Tanya Houppermans: Sand Tiger Sharks
When most divers think of world-class dive destinations, Morehead City, North Carolina on the east coast of the United States probably doesn’t come to mind, but it should. Known as the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic,’ the waters off of North Carolina are home to hundreds of shipwrecks lining the coast, many dating from World War II battles including the wreck of a German U-boat, the U-352. And with North Carolina lying just off the Gulf Stream, the water is often warm and clear. But there is something else besides great dive conditions and historic shipwrecks that entice divers to the Carolina coast: the sharks.
Sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) abound in these waters, and are often found on, in, and around the shipwrecks. With rows of jagged teeth jutting from their jaws, sand tigers can look downright menacing. But the truth is that you would be hard pressed to find a more docile shark. Sand tigers can typically be found lazily cruising around the wrecks, seemingly unfazed by the divers who frequently visit. At sizes ranging between 4-11 feet, sand tigers usually feed on bony fish, crustaceans, and small rays, all of which are plentiful around the shipwrecks. In fact, no bait is ever used to bring the sand tigers closer to divers because it’s not needed; the sharks are already there.
While sand tiger sharks can be found year-round off of North Carolina, every year during the summer months divers are often treated to the incredible site of large aggregations of these sharks sometimes numbering a hundred or more. For reasons we don’t yet understand, the sharks prefer to congregate around some wrecks over others, particularly the wreck of the freighter Caribsea. Massive schools of bait fish, along with barracuda, giant southern stingrays, and a few species of sea turtles are also frequently seen near the sharks, and pods of spotted and bottlenose dolphins are a common sight during surface intervals. For divers who enjoy shipwrecks, sharks, and big marine life, there simply is no better destination than Morehead City, North Carolina.
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A sand tiger appears to emerge from a tunnel inside of a massive bait ball. Location: Wreck of the Caribsea, Morehead City, North Carolina USA
A sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) swims through a river of small bait fish inside the wreck of the Aeolus. Location: Morehead City, North Carolina, USA.
Sand tiger sharks inside the wreck of the Caribsea. Location: Morehead City, North Carolina USA
Around mid-summer every year, sand tiger sharks by the dozens congregate near the shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina, in this case the wreck of the Caribsea. Location: Morehead City, North Carolina, USA
A sand tiger swims above the wreck of the USCGC Spar off the coast of North Carolina.
A sand tiger swims over the wreck of the Atlas, a tanker sunk 23 miles off the North Carolina in 1942 by the German U-552. Location: Morehead City, North Carolina USA
The fish were so numerous in this bait ball that they nearly blocked out all of the ambient light, giving the appearance of a dark background as this sand tiger slowly swam past.
This image was captured by swimming underneath the sand tiger, shooting upward as she swam through the millions of tiny bait fish above the wreck of the Caribsea.
Schools of small bait fish can pack themselves so tightly around the sand tigers that the sharks are often hidden. In this image a second shark is barely visible in the upper left corner.
Parasitic copepods are visible around this sand tiger shark's nostrils, while a remora hitches a ride underneath. Location: Wreck of the Caribsea, Morehead City, North Carolina USA
A sand tiger shark is surrounded by thousands of small fish near the conning tower of the wreck of the U-352. Location: Morehead City, North Carolina USA
North Carolina is one of very few places in the world where it is common to find sharks inside of shipwrecks. In this image, a sand tiger shark swims through the wreck of the USCGC Spar.
Spade fish swirl around a group of sand tigers above the wreck of the Caribsea. Location: Morehead City, North Carolina, USA
The shipwrecks of North Carolina lie near the Gulf Stream, resulting in warm, clear water and an abundance of marine life. Here a sand tiger shark is surrounded by bait fish as it swims past the top of the wreck of the Caribsea.