Where the Tiger Sharks Are - Tiger Shark Tracking near Maui

Ever wonder where the sharks are? I do. Sometimes I look out across the water and wish I could just see right through it, like we do up on land. A trip across the ocean would be like a wildlife safari in Africa. You would get out your binos, look across the savanna (ocean) and see a herd of zebra (manini) grazing in the distance, or a lion (shark) lazing in the sun.

Photo - L Weaver

We can't do that with the ocean quite yet, but Kim Holland's lab has given us a start. Check out the Hawai'i Tiger Shark Tracking page that went live last week. On it you can pick one of the individual sharks that has been tagged off Maui to help us understand tiger shark movements, and to look for patterns (or lack thereof) to help understand shark ecology.

Be advised - as the site says, it is NOT a shark warning system. Previous research has shown that tiger sharks are largely wanderers. If you spend time in the water, they have been by - you just didn't notice - and they weren't interested in you anyway. Nor are the locations exact, they are an approximation.

What the site does though, is give us a glimpse of what is happening under the waves on a day to day basis. It is fascinating stuff. Take a look and let me know what you think. My current favorite is Shark #133362.

Aloha,

Mark

P.S. - if you get bored with the sharks, check out the host site, the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System.
Definitely go to the HIMB Tiger Shark Research Site!