Richard Collins: More to tiger sharks than meets the eye

Solitary hunters, they wander the southern oceans, targeting fish and squid.

Research on tiger sharks, one of the most
notorious species, suggests that its social
behaviour is more complex than was thought.

Basking shark numbers are increasing; 2021 has been a record year for sightings of them. Formerly exploited, these gentle giants are now cherished as a visitor attraction; shark tourism has arrived. These, the largest fish in the North Atlantic, have only tiny teeth. They just hoover up plankton for a living, unlike the more aggressive members of their 400-million-year-old tribe.

Sharks have an image problem. All tarred with the same brush, they are seen as apocalyptic killing machines roaming the seas devouring every creatures they encounter. We speak of ‘loan-sharks’, ‘requin’ in French comes from ‘requiem’, while Steven Spielberg’s film Jaws hasn’t helped.