gray reef sharks are more aggressive
than the white tips
what's going on everybody it's been a
while and happy Shark Week my name is
Brandon I'm a marine biologist and an
artist and welcome to nature meets paper
the place where we go on an adventure to
discover the world of marine biology I
love sharing my passion of the oceans
and it's creatures with you through art
if you are new here welcome this place
is for anyone and everyone who loves
adventure discoveries or connecting with
nature if you are returning thank you so
much it's great to see you again in this
episode we're gonna be discovering the
grey reef shark are you ready let's
dive in the grey reef shark is found in
the indo-pacific from East Africa and
the Red Sea to the west coast of South
America by Easter Island
they prefer drop-off zones near coral
reefs in the leeward side of the
currents this is the side opposite of
the direct current
they're one of the most common shark
species found by coral reef habitat
along with the white tip and black tip
reef sharks this species of shark
prefers water that is above 60 meters or
200 feet and enjoy diverse terrain that
has outcroppings and texture what are we
looking for when looking for the gray
reef shark this part is important for my
diving friends why is that it is
important to be able to tell the
difference between a relatively harmless
white tip and an unpredictable black tip
or grey shark that's right this animal
is beautiful but has a history of
attacking divers and swimmers when
provoked at least they give you a
warning stance when they feel threatened
apparently they will slump their back
and drop their pectoral fins when they
feel threatened
this shark grows to 1.9 meters long or 6
feet 2 inches that's about my size they
have a range in color as well some
sharks that are found in shallower
waters will tan and have a bronze or
dark grey coloration so basically the
shallow water sharks are tanner
then
deep-water sharks the deepwater sharks
are lighter in color they have white
sides and a lighter stomach this is
known as counter shading in my reference
photo that I took this is hard to see I
was underneath and behind the light
source causing shadows to be present in
this shark the gray reef shark has a
medium-sized dorsal fin in the middle of
its body this dorsal fin does not have
any coloration on they have black
accents on their pectoral fins and tail
this can make it easily mistaken for a
black tip reef shark just be sure to
look for the first dorsal the shark has
a short blunt nose and small round eyes
they also have a medium to small mouth
with sharp pointed teeth the upper jaw
has flatter more serrated teeth where
the bottom jaw has thin upward pointing
teeth for grasping I would not use this
method for my first line of
identification of the shark there are
other way easier to notice methods to
determine if it's a grey reef shark
speaking of mouth and teeth that brings
us to the segment where we discover the
diet and condition of the gray reef
shark what do these sharks eat
the grey reef shark eats free-roaming
bony fish crustaceans and crabs and
lobsters as well as cephalopods like
squids and octopuses they are prey to
larger sharks like the Silvertip shark
and in some cases other gray sharks
these sharks can feed solo or in small
groups they chase they chase fish and
work with other animals for aid and
catching a meal they have been seen
following dolphins and white tips who
can help them get tricky fish they're
also known for causing feeding frenzies
this is how they can mistakenly eat
another grey shark so how are the
gray reef sharks doing the IUCN Red List
has them listed as near threat
this is because they they only breed
every other year and are caught for fin
trade as well as bycatch from fishermen
this low reproduction rate and high
mortality is causing declines in their
population now it is my favorite part of
the adventure we get to discover how I
got to see this animal I was in the Maui
Ocean Center they have an incredible
aquarium this allows you to get a close
look at animals that would be hard to
see it
well I should rephrase that it would be
hard for me to see in the wild since I
am NOT a dive certified this shark was
in the big shark and Ray tank at the end
of the aquarium it was in a huge tank
with several species of fish sharks and
rays there are not many gray reef sharks
in this tank so getting a photo of one
close to the class was special
it was after feeding time in the tank
this cost the sharks to come up and swim
around while feeding this one cruised
around a few times then went back to the
rear of the exhibit I love sharks they
are so cool they demand respect but are
amazing to watch I will call this
adventure finished
thank you so much for watching it means
so much that you take time to discover
something new by watching this video if
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and leggings I'm trying this out on
teespring  you can also purchase
some of my art that I make in these
videos I sell the originals and prints
send me an email if you're interested
I've been Brandon and I'll see you in
our next adventure
