(Dramatic music)
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Yep, that's hooked.
Bringing the tension up.
MALE NARRATOR: It's late summer
in New Zealand.
CLARKE: Coming up straight.
Megan: Got it.
NARRATOR: And Megan Meyers
is on a mission...
♪♪♪
To capture and tag a mako shark.
♪♪♪
But that's easier said
than done...
MEGAN: Yeah!
NARRATOR:
When you're dealing with
the fastest shark in the world.
♪♪♪
MAN: This is the one we want.
♪♪♪
MAN: Hands clear.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The short-finned mako.
The cheetah of the shark world.
♪♪♪
The clear, blue water
is its savannah.
It's been clocked
reaching speeds
up to 46 miles per hour.
Making it the fastest shark
in the world.
♪♪♪
But there is one animal
it can't outrun.
♪♪♪
Us.
♪♪♪
Most sharks are caught only
for their fins.
♪♪♪
And their bodies
dumped overboard...
♪♪♪
Bringing global populations
to the brink.
♪♪♪
The mako is no exception.
♪♪♪
Shark biologist Megan Meyers
is hoping to change that.
Having studied and tagged
the largest shark in the world,
the whale shark,
she's now turning her attention
to the fastest.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Our mission is to go out
and satellite tag
two larger mako sharks.
It's important
to tag these sharks
because we want to know
where they're moving.
If we know where they're moving
then we can elucidate
maybe why they're moving there.
Are they moving there
to breed?
Are they moving there to feed?
And if we have that information,
then hopefully
we can better protect
and manage the species.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: Megan is heading
to the Alderman Islands.
♪♪♪
An archipelago lying 12 miles
from the northeast coast
of New Zealand.
♪♪♪
These waters are known
by local fishermen
as shark alley.
♪♪♪
For help, she's recruited
veteran game fisherman
Clarke Gayford.
♪♪♪
Clarke has caught
other contenders
for the title of fastest fish
in the ocean,
including marlin and wahoo,
but he's never reeled in
a shark like a mako.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Look I've fished
my whole life
and as a consequence of that
we've had dealings with sharks.
I tend to not try to catch them
so this is going to be something
completely different for me.
A big shark like that
at the back of the boat
is a stroppy, big behemoth
to deal with.
So it could go one of two ways.
It could be successful
or it could go horribly wrong.
NARRATOR: The first step is
to attract the elusive predator
with the irresistible smell
of berley,
a mix of minced tuna
and fish oil.
MEGAN: Up to this point,
we've tagged some animals
that are around 1.7, 1.8 meters
in the southern hemisphere,
but we want to get
above 2 meters
because we think that
at that point
they might start migrating
farther offshore.
So the younger ones
tend to hang out more coastal,
in more coastal areas,
but what we wanna do is see
how the older
and larger sharks act.
NARRATOR: The problem is:
6 1/2 foot makos
are fairly uncommon.
Megan must wait for her chance
but time is not on her side.
MEGAN: The season for makos
is actually closing right now.
So we're sort of racing
against time here.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: Megan doesn't have
to wait long
before there's a movement
in the water.
♪♪♪
A big shark,
over 6 1/2 feet long.
but it's the wrong kind.
(Soft music)
A blue shark.
A long, slender
oceanic wanderer.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Blue sharks look
a bit longer than makos.
♪♪♪
They also have
large pectoral fins,
they're more of a blue color,
they have a pointed snout
and they also have
a sub-terminal mouth,
so in the water they do look
quite different than a mako.
CLARKE: They can turn into
a bit of a clumsy clown.
They sniff the berley
and they roll around
and then they get confused
by the electrodes
at the back of the boat
and they're not sure
where the food source is.
MEGAN: So the blue sharks will
come up to the anodizing blocks
underneath the boat repeatedly.
And it's because it gives out
a similar electromagnetic field
as a dying fish.
♪♪♪
So I think what it does is
it sort of smells the food,
goes, "Oh there's food here,"
and then circles under the boat
because they, you know,
sort of sense that dying fish
and then goes,
"But there's nothing here,"
and then goes away
and then comes back
and sort of does
the same thing all over again.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
Even though Megan and the crew
aren't looking for a blue shark,
they might still
have use for one.
♪♪♪
(Lilting music)
MEGAN:
So I'm feeding the blue shark
so that way I can have
a better look at its anatomy.
I wanna see how it bites,
its teeth,
its jaw structure,
and how it's different
than a mako.
NARRATOR:
It's also a chance to see
the shark's special eyelid,
called a nictitating membrane.
MEGAN: It looks almost like
the eyes are rolling back
in the back of its head, but
it's actually just a membrane
coming up over
to protect the eye.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The membrane activates
as the shark goes in to bite,
helping protect the eye
from any damage
that might be caused
by thrashing prey.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: That was exciting.
(Laughs)
(Dramatic music)
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
Another shark appears
that Megan will definitely not
be feeding by hand.
♪♪♪
After only two hours,
a mako has arrived.
♪♪♪
At around 5 feet
it's too small to tag,
But it's Megan and the crew's
first chance
to see their target species
up close.
♪♪♪
The mako is supremely adapted
for life in the open ocean.
♪♪♪
Its torpedo-shaped body
is incredibly hydrodynamic...
♪♪♪
Built for power and speed,
similar to its close relative,
the great white shark.
♪♪♪
Its crescent tail gives
maximum speed with minimum drag.
♪♪♪
And the rounded protrusion
on the body,
just before the tail,
is a caudal keel,
a turbo booster
that injects extra thrust.
♪♪♪
This speed and power
let it chase
some of the fastest fish
in the open ocean.
♪♪♪
But even on a small bait fish
that's already dead,
it displays typical
hunting behavior.
♪♪♪
First, it bites off the tail
to immobilize its prey.
♪♪♪
It circles around,
letting the fish bleed out...
♪♪♪
Before returning
to finish the job.
♪♪♪
The violent shaking
makes the most
of the cutting power
of the shark's teeth.
Slicing the fish
into bite-sized pieces.
CLARKE:
You can just get that feeling
that what you're looking at
in the water
is like an evolutionary marvel,
they've got just incredible
little dead eyes
that come in and stare at you.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: They look very smart.
You can see it looking at you.
It knows that you're there.
CLARKE: It feels like
when they make close passes
through the back of the boat
that they're actually
looking up at you
and thinking, you know,
you know, "What are you?
Are you a predator?
Are you prey?
Are you lunch perhaps?"
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: For now
all of the mako's attention
is on the blue shark.
♪♪♪
Both creatures are solitary
by nature,
though they commonly come
into contact around kills.
♪♪♪
They're wary of each other
and must establish
which is dominant.
♪♪♪
The Blue lowers
its pectoral fins
in an aggressive posture.
(Suspenseful music)
♪♪♪
For a moment,
it's a standoff.
♪♪♪
Then, the slightly smaller mako
gives way.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Because this blue shark
is a bit bigger,
it may have won this encounter
for that reason.
♪♪♪
(Soft dramatic music)
NARRATOR: But the blue
doesn't hang around
to enjoy its victory.
They soon find out why.
CLARKE: Ooh.
(Dramatic music)
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: A second mako arrives.
MAN: Ooh, look at this.
That one there.
NARRATOR: Then a third.
♪♪♪
It seems mako season
isn't quite over yet.
MEGAN: We're really exited
because we think we have
plenty of options for tagging
and it's just a great start
to our trip.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The mood is tense as
the sharks size each other up.
MAN: Jeez, they're not liking
each other being here.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The crew needs a mako
that's over 6 1/2 feet...
♪♪♪
Because the movements
of these larger sharks
are more likely
to provide key information
about where makos mate
and give birth.
♪♪♪
Crucial areas
to focus conservation efforts.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Here we go.
Ah, that's a big one
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
It looks like one of the sharks
is just big enough for a tag.
CLARKE: Felt the Adrenaline
starting to go,
and then all of the rehearsal
that we went through
kicking into gear.
NARRATOR:
Clarke baits a circle hook.
It's specially designed
to cause as little damage
as possible to the shark.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: All right.
Are we ready to do this?
Here we go.
♪♪♪
Keep eyes on him.
All right, so I need someone
on rope here helping me.
MEGAN: Yup, I got it.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Oh, so we've got
three sharks.
(Suspenseful music)
NARRATOR:
Tension mounts with
at least three excited makos
circling the boat.
♪♪♪
Is that the big one?
♪♪♪
That one there
is the bigger one.
The one that just
came closest?
MAN: Yes.
CLARKE: All right.
So it's this one here,
right?
MAN: This one.
CLARKE: Okay, stand back.
♪♪♪
That bait's gone in
right on his nose.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: But it's difficult
for the crew
to get the biggest shark
to take the bait.
CLARKE: Let's go.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Ooh.
MEGAN: That's rough.
MAN: Look at him race off!
CLARKE: Yeah,
there's a bit of confrontation.
♪♪♪
Coming back around.
There's a shark on it now.
Big one's on it now.
Come on.
It's flicking around the bait.
Kicked the rope.
Take it.
♪♪♪
He's got it!
He's got it in his mouth.
He's got it in his mouth.
Stand by everyone!
♪♪♪
He's just chewing on it.
He's just chewing.
I'm letting him swallow it.
MAN: Oh, another one.
CLARKE: Okay, hold on.
All right, he's running.
MEGAN:
When the shark takes the bait,
it's very exciting.
I don't think I've felt
quite as much Adrenaline
as that in maybe my whole life.
The rope is kind of ripping
out of Clarke's hands.
Everyone on the boat
is very serious.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Set the hook.
♪♪♪
Get that shark closer
to the boat.
♪♪♪
Careful guys,
this guy's--
the shark's deep
and under this boat.
If he realizes he's hooked,
he could come straight up.
NARRATOR:
Makos have been reported leaping
over 20 feet out of the water.
♪♪♪
Many injuries to people
have been cause by a hooked mako
actually jumping into the boat.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Watch out,
we've got him right here.
CLARKE: Got him right here.
MEGAN: Yep, I got it.
NARRATOR: But the crew has
a bigger problem.
MAN: He's only about 1.7.
NARRATOR: It's not big enough
for Megan's tag.
CLARKE:
It's the wrong shark.
Another one,
a smaller shark,
has come in and taken the bait.
NARRATOR:
They have to let it go.
MEGAN: Even though
it's a disappointment,
it's actually
kind of a good thing
because the seas
are really rough
and it gives us
a bit of practice
so that way at least next time
we're a bit more prepared.
(Soft dramatic music)
NARRATOR:
Megan's mission is turning out
to be harder than she expected.
♪♪♪
Tags in other parts
of the world have shown
that the biggest makos
make huge seasonal migrations.
Exactly where they go and why
are just some of the mysteries
that Megan's tags
might help solve.
(Dramatic music)
What she does know is that
with summer drawing to a close,
her sharks will soon be leaving,
and she's running out of time.
♪♪♪
For now, New Zealand's temperate
waters are bursting with life.
♪♪♪
Huge shoals of tuna arrive.
♪♪♪
Like these skipjack
that are breaking the surface
as they feed on smaller fish.
♪♪♪
The tuna are highly migratory.
♪♪♪
They've come to New Zealand
from the tropics
to chase the seasonal abundance.
♪♪♪
They're the mako's
favorite food.
But makos aren't
the only predators
with a taste for tuna.
♪♪♪
This is a method of fishing
called purse seining.
♪♪♪
They surround the school
with the net...
♪♪♪
Until the tuna have
nowhere to go.
♪♪♪
Commercial fishing not only
removes the mako's food source,
but is also responsible
for most mako fatalities
in the form of bycatch.
♪♪♪
79 tons of mako were taken
in New Zealand waters in 2016.
♪♪♪
MEGAN:
The main reason that the mako
is particularly vulnerable
to overfishing is
because females
aren't reproducing
until they're 20
or 21 years of age.
And then they're only having
about a dozen pups per litter
and then on top of that
they can only reproduce
every three years,
you can see
how it would be difficult
for a population to recover.
NARRATOR: Despite threats
from tuna fishing,
Makos are relatively safe
in New Zealand waters
due to a shark-finning ban.
♪♪♪
But they won't be here
much longer.
♪♪♪
The tuna shoals
will soon leave these waters
to winter in the tropics.
♪♪♪
When they do,
the makos will go with them.
♪♪♪
So the fishing boat offers
an ironic opportunity.
The smell of the tuna blood
will surely attract sharks,
helping Megan conduct research
that may well lead to changes
in fishing practices.
As the fishing boat
is leaving the area
plenty of sharks are arriving.
♪♪♪
CLARKE:
So we went out to get sharks,
and, well, sharks we have.
NARRATOR: But not the ones
Megan is looking for.
CLARKE: We've got blues
up on the berley bag
causing all sorts
of mischief and mayhem
and then smaller makos
coming in.
It's the right species,
but they're not the sharks
that we need to tag.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
Finally, a larger shape
appears in the water.
(Suspenseful music)
♪♪♪
MEGAN:
This is our first quality animal
that we can get
a satellite tag in,
so I'm very excited.
CLARKE: IT is over
that magical 2 meter mark.
This is the shark that we need.
♪♪♪
You hungry?
CLARKE: Let's go.
MEGAN: Yeah.
CLARKE: Here he goes.
He's coming in on it.
NARRATOR: But the old nemesis
strikes again.
CLARKE: It's the blue.
Bloody blue.
NARRATOR:
Blue sharks crash the party.
CLARKE: Get off it, mate.
I never thought I'd say this,
but it was a case
of almost having
too many sharks.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, shoot.
Wrong shark.
(Chuckles)
Ah, yeah, he's a good size.
It's the biggest one by far,
isn't it?
CLARKE: Come on.
NARRATOR: The large mako
shows an interest in the bait.
CLARKE: Watch out for blue.
MAN: Come on, you.
CLARKE: Ah, you mongrel.
Get out of it.
I'm having to pull it away
from other sharks.
We've got smaller makos
coming in.
They're causing
all sorts of headaches.
I can't seem to get the bait
right in front
of the decent big mako
that is just hanging back.
It's a bit frustrating.
MEGAN: Time is not on our side
and I really want to get
a satellite tag in this shark.
CLARKE:
It's like teasing a cat,
really.
Just lobbing the bait out,
pulling away
from the wrong shark.
♪♪♪
Keep your eyes on it, Scotty.
There it is.
SCOTT: Yeah, here he comes.
Yeah, you put it
right in front of him.
SCOTT: He's coming for it.
CLARKE: Come on, take it.
CLARKE: Take it. Take it.
SCOTT: Yeah, he's going for it.
CLARKE: Take it.
NARRATOR: Five makos together
is a rarely seen phenomenon.
CLARKE: Which one's that?
MAN: The makos taken it.
CLARKE: There's two makos now.
There's two makos now on it.
♪♪♪
How big's that other one?
Can you ID it?
MAN: Yup, it's the same one.
It's big.
CLARKE:
No, no, there's two down there.
MAN: Yep, that's him.
CLARKE: That's him.
Okay, stand by--stand by, guys.
NARRATOR: Finally,
the big one takes the bait.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: The rope just starts
to rip out through my fingers.
All right, we're letting it run?
MEGAN: Yep.
CLARKE: Okay.
Five more seconds.
He's going hard right.
I'm bringing the tension up.
He's coming up, Scott.
He's coming out of the water.
Bring the weight on,
and it hooks up beautifully.
Shark on.
Yep, that's hooked.
Man, did we have our hands full.
♪♪♪
It felt the hook
in the corner of it's mouth
and it did not like it.
♪♪♪
It was kind of like
this mix of excitement
with a bit of fear as well
because this is
a powerful animal.
(Dramatic music)
MALE NARRATOR:
A 6 1/2 foot shark weighs
about 220 pounds.
Far too strong for Clarke
to beat in a tug of war.
♪♪♪
Hello.
You ready for your tag?
Not yet.
NARRATOR:
But he has time on his side.
♪♪♪
All he needs to do is keep
the shark hooked until it tires.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: I mean, these are one of
the fastest fish in the ocean,
and just to be there
in that moment...
♪♪♪
And feel that shark go whipping
across the back of the boat.
♪♪♪
Such a cool feeling
just hanging on.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: After a struggle
lasting more than ten minutes...
The shark is tiring.
CLARKE: Yeah,
I'm easily leading him now.
NARRATOR:
Now for the hard part.
CLARKE: Amber, can you get that
other hoop ready?
NARRATOR:
The shark must be retrained.
CLARKE: Now, to secure
a big animal like this,
we've got to get a tail rope on
so that we can stop it
flicking its tail
and generating power
and ripping away from us.
Okay, ready?
CLARKE:
And that sounds easy in theory,
but when you've got a large
shark at the back of the boat
and it doesn't want to be there,
it is a difficult prospect.
Okay, yeah, nah.
Do that again.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
But the crew is struggling
to get the tail rope on.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: So this isn't working.
It's time for
a change of strategy.
The call is made to try and get
the shark over onto its back.
Down, further down, further.
Grab him, grab him,
grab the body, grab it.
MEGAN: So, when you flip a shark
over on its back side,
it goes into this unique state
called tonic immobility
where it basically doesn't move
and is in a pretty docile state.
♪♪♪
CLARKE:
And so next up is the head rope,
and thankfully
this goes on really easily.
MIKE: Yeah, now--now tie him.
CLARKE: But then
the shark wakes up.
Hold on--hold onto that rope.
CLARKE:
And all hell breaks loose.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The head rope
doesn't hurt the mako...
but it definitely
doesn't like it.
CLARKE:
Ah, hold it, hold that tail.
Clean it off, clean it off!
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: Finally,
they have the shark secured.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: It's a female.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: Now it's time
for Megan to attach the tag.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: She must first use
a template to drill holes
in the dorsal fin.
(Drill whirring)
MEGAN: I need my placeholder.
NARRATOR:
The fin's made of cartilage
and free of nerve endings,
so the shark feels no pain.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Drilling a second hole.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: But disaster strikes.
The drill short circuits.
Basically, I flood the drill.
(Laughs)
CLARKE: It's all right, it's
all right, I've got mine here.
MEGAN: But luckily Clarke has
a spare drill on board.
Get the third one now.
Get the third one now
while you're there.
NARRATOR:
The tag's positioning is vital.
MEGAN: I need the tag.
NARRATOR: The antenna
needs to be high enough
to break the water
when the shark surfaces.
This is when it will transmit
the shark's location,
water temperature,
and how deep it's been diving.
The battery can last
for over two years.
MEGAN: We got the first one in.
We'll tighten it
a little bit more.
MEGAN: So, I put the first bolt
into the fin,
and luckily I get it on
just in time.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: And I'm sitting there
thinking to myself,
just please
let that tag be there
when the shark stops
thrashing around.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Because otherwise
I just lost $6,000.
(Laughs)
NARRATOR:
When the thrashing stops...
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
The tag is still in place.
MEGAN: We want to leave a little
bit of room for fin growth,
but not too much.
We don't want it to be too loose
or the tag will come off.
(Drill whirring)
NARRATOR: Finally,
the satellite tag is secured.
MEGAN: Tag's on, guys.
CLARKE: It's tagged?
MEGAN: Yep, gotta hold it.
NARRATOR: Now, Megan just needs
a final, precise measurement.
CLARKE: This is the good part.
MEGAN: Yeah.
CLARKE: Megan asked me
to run the tape measure
along the shark,
and I seem to get the end
that you don't really want
to be too close to.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Just over two meters.
CLARKE: All right.
Let's get this shark
back and swimming.
Watch those teeth.
NARRATOR: This is
the biggest mako ever tagged
in New Zealand waters.
The hook and bindings
are safely removed.
CLARKE: All right,
are we good to go?
MIKE: Tail's clear.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Whoo-hoo!
MEGAN: Awesome work, team!
(Laughter)
WOMAN: Yeah, high-five!
MAN: Yeah!
MEGAN: Awesome.
WOMAN: Whoo-hoo!
NARRATOR: The crew decides
to name her Indy,
and she heads off into the deep.
MEGAN: We did it.
CLARKE:Like a well-oiled
machine!
MEGAN: Yeah!
(Laughs)
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Within about ten hours
of tagging the shark,
we went home, and that night
we got our first data reading
from the shark, and it was
a very exciting moment
for us because,
knowing that she's there,
swimming at the surface,
means she's okay,
and that we did a good job.
NARRATOR: The data revealed that
Megan caught Indy just in time.
MEGAN: Indy stays near
where we tagged her
for a couple days, and then
she makes a pretty abrupt
movement north
along the Colville Ridge
up towards Tonga and Fiji.
NARRATOR: The Colville Ridge
is an underwater mountain range
that runs north
from New Zealand.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: It creates turbulence
in the ocean currents
that drives cold,
nutrient-rich water
up from the depths.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: It mixes with
the sunlit surface waters
and can support huge populations
of sea life...
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: Including some of
the mako's favorite food,
kingfish, grouper, and tuna.
MEGAN: So, one of
the most interesting things
we've seen so far is that,
even though Indy spends
most of her time
between zero and 25 meters,
she's actually made it down
to over 600 meters' depth.
NARRATOR: This is
the deepest dive by a mako
ever recorded in
the Southern Hemisphere.
The question is,
what's she doing down there?
MEGAN: Wouldn't we like to know.
I mean, it would be great
if we could ask them
these questions, but, you know,
it could be related
to prey-searching,
it could be related
to traveling,
it could be related to
getting rid of parasites.
We don't really know.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: Indy's tag is
already shining a light
on the mysteries of the mako.
The species is particularly
difficult to study
because its migration means
it spends a lot of time
in the vastness
of the open ocean.
But there is another way
to learn about makos.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
By looking at the animals
these apex predators prey upon.
(Bird cawing)
NARRATOR:
Like the bronze whaler shark.
CLARKE: They're a shark
that we often encounter
in summer in New Zealand.
They come in, they like
the warmer, shallower water.
They're often at the back
of surf breaks.
They're often where
you go diving.
NARRATOR:
At over 10 feet,
fully-grown bronze whalers
are too big for mako to take on.
But they do feed on juveniles.
And recently, there seems
to have been a dramatic rise
in the population
of bronze whalers.
Fisherman like Clarke were among
the first to notice the change.
CLARKE: I've been spear fishing
for the last ten years or so,
and I can say that
I'm seeing more sharks now
than I've ever seen before.
NARRATOR:
This was a concern for locals
because bronze whalers
are well-known
for their unprovoked attacks
on humans.
CLARKE: So,
we're anchored up one evening
and I think, all right,
I'm gonna go for a spear fish.
So I decide to shoot
another small fish,
and that will bring in any other
snapper, which is my target.
♪♪♪
CLARKE:
Something catches my eye,
and I just turn,
and there over my shoulder
is a bronze whaler shark,
and it wants what I've got.
NARRATOR: Incidents of bronze
whalers competing with divers
for their catches seems
to be getting more common.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: They're learning
signals or cues,
and unfortunately for me,
one of those cues
is the sound of a spear gun.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: There's places now
that I won't go spear fishing
because just the action
of firing a gun
will seem to sound out
to any nearby bronze whalers.
They'll show up
expecting a free feed
and can cause you a few problems
in the water.
One in the water's okay.
Two, you've got to be
a little bit careful.
But three or more bronze whalers
in the water,
and it can be
really, really dangerous.
They're a pack animal
and can turn on you
in a moment's notice.
NARRATOR: The rise of
bronze whaler numbers
may well give clues
as to the state
of the mako population.
CLARKE: One of the thoughts
might be that a lot of the makos
are being taken out
of the food chain,
so they're not predating on
the smaller bronze whalers,
and this has given their numbers
a chance to explode.
NARRATOR: Tagging Indy was
a major success.
(Thunder cracks)
NARRATOR: But there's bad news
for Megan and the crew.
An enormous tropical storm
that has wreaked havoc
down the coast of Australia
is heading towards New Zealand.
CLARKE: That could be
the signal of the end of summer.
That could be the signal that
makes all the sharks
just leave New Zealand and
head off to somewhere warmer.
MEGAN:
We only have two or threemore
days to get this last tag in,
and it's feeling real right now.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
But the sharks don't seem
to appreciate Megan's urgency.
The only ones that show up
are blues and smaller makos.
So Megan makes use
of their presence
by taking tissue samples.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: It's too far away.
There's the other one
right down there.
♪♪♪
MEGAN:
The tissue samples allow us
to do an isotopic analysis,
and basically all that means,
it's fancy talk
for being able to figure out
what this animal is eating.
♪♪♪
♪♪♪
This was a much better sample
than the last one.
NARRATOR: The tissue samples
keep Megan occupied
while there are
no large taggable sharks around.
NARRATOR:
But suddenly, a different shape
appears in the water.
CLARKE: Stand back,
watch yourself, it's coming in.
MEGAN: Get the team ready.
NARRATOR: A shadow moving
with stealth and speed.
CLARKE: This is the one.
MEGAN: That's the one
we should tag, for sure.
(Laughs)
CLARKE:
You think this is hours old?
(Light music)
MEGAN: It's adorable.
(Laughs)
It's a baby shark.
NARRATOR:
Sharks receive no parental care.
They are completely independent
from birth.
So this tiny blue shark
has never been warned
not to talk to strangers.
CLARKE: Megan and I are talking
about how to sex a shark,
and the call is made, well,
one way to find out
is just to grab it
and have a look.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Female.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Look at those eyes
and those teeth.
Bit jagged.
All right.
MEGAN: Let's release her.
CLARKE: I got it.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The tiny blue is the
last shark they'll see today.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: So, the storm's gonna
be here in two days,
and we get rained off.
♪♪♪
It's getting a bit stressful
at this point.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
Time has pretty much run out,
and there's more bad news.
Indy's satellite tag reveals
that she continues to follow
the Colville Ridge
north towards Fiji.
But just after she leaves
New Zealand waters,
the tag falls silent.
(Dramatic music)
MEGAN: The tag could have just
stopped transmitting.
She could be fine
and still swimming around.
But it's unfortunately probably
more likely that she was caught.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: There have been
reports from conservationists
that shark finning is
on the rise in Fijian waters.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: It was just such
a disappointing feeling
to think that
that shark's been killed,
you know, for what?
Like, for its fins?
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: Tagging a second shark
is now even more necessary.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: With another day lost
to bad weather,
Megan and the crew
now only have one day
before the storm arrives.
They must attach
their second tag today,
or all their efforts
will have been for nothing.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: During this project,
we've seen just a handful
of taggable sharks, so
the likelihood of getting one
on our last day is pretty small.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The day begins
with good conditions,
but only smaller makos.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: But then
a new fin breaks the surface.
MEGAN: So, against all odds,
this large shark shows up,
and it's probably the biggest
one we've seen so far.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
Everyone leaps into action.
♪♪♪
CLARKE:
Where's that big one?
NARRATOR: But with lots of
smaller sharks in the water,
it's difficult to single out
the big one they want.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Is that the small one?
Or is that the same one?
♪♪♪
MEGAN: I just saw him go down
the back of the boat.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Is that it?
MEGAN: That's it.
CLARKE: That's it.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: There's your fish.
Stand by, guys, watch that rope.
CLARKE: I chuck the bait out,
straight on it,
hooks up, and I'm thinking,
yeah, right, let's go.
He's right at the boat,
so this is really, really
dangerous and critical.
Okay, he doesn't know
he's hooked yet.
Okay, I think he's hooked now.
♪♪♪
Careful, guys,
he's pointing towards the boat.
♪♪♪
Be very careful.
He's pointing towards the boat.
This is a real moment because
it's pointing straight at us,
and one, two kicks of its tail
and it'll be in the boat.
Okay, he hasn't figured out
that he's hooked yet.
I'm really worried
at this point.
CLARKE: Okay, here we go.
MEGAN: Yep.
CLARKE: That's our shark.
So it's all looking good,
and I'm gonna pull that line,
see if I can get a connection.
CLARKE: Aah.
MEGAN: Oh...
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Clarke pulls on the line
to set the hook,
and the bait just comes
right out.
And we're so upset.
NARRATOR: Clarke gets fresh bait
straight back into the water.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Where's out mate?
Think he'll come back?
Makos don't get bit by accident.
A big shark like that,
a smart shark,
there's a good chance that
that's it,
it's spooked,
it's not coming back.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
But just as all seems lost,
another shark joins the party.
CLARKE: Oh, another shark's
here, another shark's here.
Ooh, big, big conflict.
♪♪♪
CLARKE:
That's a big, wide shark.
MEGAN: Yeah, it is.
We can't believe our luck.
I don't think we've seen two
large sharks on the same day.
This is the last chance
that we have to do this,
and it is a big animal
and it's definitely taggable.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Yep.
CLARKE: He's coming around.
Down here.
He's turned on it.
♪♪♪
Ugh, it's like
the shark is teasing me.
I can see him.
♪♪♪
CLARKE:
That's yours if you want it.
Why is that fish doing
not fish things?
Oh, that's close on the bait.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: All right, he's got it.
He's got it in his mouth.
It's dong a big circle.
He's coming back around
towards the boat.
Put some pressure on it
and see what happens.
Ooh, I felt that connect.
I think we've got a shark.
Oh, finally, it's hooked.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Yeah, we're in no hurry.
We're not bringing this shark in
for a good while yet.
NARRATOR:
They attach a float to the line
to provide extra buoyancy
and resistance,
which will help
tire out the shark.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: This is good,
so we're just wearing him down.
So whoever's on
that tail rope...
♪♪♪
MEGAN:
So, Clarke has it on the hook,
and the line is taut,
and then all of a sudden
it goes slack,
and we're thinking, oh, my gosh,
did we just lose this shark?
CLARKE: Is it a shark?
Am I just pulling in a hook?
What's happening?
But I don't realize that
actually the mako is swimming
straight at the boat, and then
I look up and there it is.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
The shark is still hooked
and right beside the boat.
CLARKE: It's time to
get that shark strapped down.
Let's get a tag in it.
NARRATOR: The crew's learned
from last time.
Securing the shark
is far more efficient.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
Megan has learned something too.
This time, she's given the drill
some waterproofing.
♪♪♪
(Drill whirring)
MEGAN: One down.
CLARKE: Cool.
MEGAN: If I can have the tag,
please?
Great.
♪♪♪
CLARKE: Keep going, keep going.
That's it, yep, that's good.
NARRATOR: But the shark has no
intention of making this easy.
CLARKE:
Hold on, hold on, hold it.
CLARKE: Ow.
MEGAN: Just let him go,
just let him go.
MEGAN: The tag's in.
CLARKE: Yeah.
My forearms are bruised.
My shins are all bruised.
Imagine laying on
the back of a moving boat
trying to screw in something
on the side of another boat,
but it's alive and it has teeth
and it's moving around.
It's just not
an easy thing to do.
♪♪♪
Washer and nut?
Great.
Okay, last one.
(Drill whirring)
All right, I'm gonna leave
a little bit of room
for fin growth, remember.
There we go, got it.
CLARKE: Happy with that?
MEGAN: Yep, it's good.
CLARKE: Yeah, all right.
MEGAN: Yep.
NARRATOR: The last bolt is on.
♪♪♪
MEGAN: Are you over his nose?
CLARKE: Yeah--hold on, wait.
Yeah, bang on his nose.
MEGAN: (Laughs)
CLARKE: Yes!
NARRATOR: At 6 feet 7 inches,
this is now the largest mako
ever satellite tagged
in New Zealand waters.
CLARKE:
We'll get this shark revived.
Good sharky.
Get that loop off the head.
MEGAN: Bottoms off.
CLARKE: Bottoms off!
Mission accomplished!
(Laughs)
Got it, whoo!
NARRATOR:
Once again, it's a female.
The crew name her Devon.
Ah, well done.
Nice job!
Yeah.
(Laughs)
(Sighs)
Got it, whoo!
(Thunder rumbling)
NARRATOR:
And not a moment too soon.
MEGAN: The next day,
this huge storm rolls in.
We couldn't even get out of
town, the storm was so big,
let alone go out on a boat,
so we really got this
in the nick of time.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR: The season for tagging
is officially over.
Now they wait for the data.
MEGAN: So, we've done
what we set out to do,
and it's just
a really exciting moment.
NARRATOR: Devon leaves
the New Zealand coast
almost immediately,
heading north.
MEGAN: We don't think that
this is an artifact of tagging.
We think we interrupted her
right in the middle of
when she was ready
to travel up north anyway.
NARRATOR: Devon's movements are
almost identical to Indy's.
She travels up
the Colville Ridge
and after four weeks has covered
over 1100 miles,
an average of 40 miles per day.
Devon mimics Indy's route
so precisely
that she inevitably arrives
at almost the exact spot
where Indy disappeared.
(Radar pinging)
NARRATOR:
Then, she turns around.
Three months later, Devon is
back in the relative safety
of New Zealand, in the remote
and abundant waters
around the Kermadec Islands.
As a female
approaching maturity,
her location may be a clue
to the biggest questions
for mako scientists.
MEGAN:
So, if we are able to
figure out where they're mating
and where they're giving
birth, that would be a key area
for us to know to protect.
It would be great if these tags
and other tags around the world,
not just limited to here,
would show us, you know,
where those areas were,
so maybe we could
better protect the species.
NARRATOR: Devon is possibly
showing the way,
but it will take
many more sharks bearing tags
before we know the answer
for sure.
♪♪♪
NARRATOR:
Sharks have stalked our oceans
for four hundred millions years,
yet we are only just beginning
to understand the mysteries
of these great predators.
With every new tag...
CLARKE: Well done.
NARRATOR:
And every new piece of data...
we can gradually
unravel their secrets...
♪♪♪
And help ensure that the mako,
the fastest shark in the world,
is still swimming our oceans
for generations to come.
♪♪♪
♪♪♪
♪♪♪
