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- [Voiceover] There is a species of shark
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whose reputation rivals that
of the notorious great white.
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The tiger shark.
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Like other dangerous species
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it's known to attack human beings.
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But unlike the others,
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tiger sharks don't just bite.
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They devour.
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Divers have always been told
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If you see one
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leave the water fast.
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But there's one man
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with a very different attitude.
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He's chosen a radical and high risk method
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of shark watching.
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One that he believes may help us
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to see the infamous tiger shark
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in a whole new light.
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(ominous music)
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The tiger shark is large
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and highly predatory.
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(dramatic music)
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It's infamous among divers
for a sinister reason.
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Its aggression and voracious,
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almost indiscriminate appetite.
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Of those sharks labeled as dangerous,
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only a few are branded man eaters.
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The tiger is one of them.
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Other sharks have attacked
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and some are certainly killed,
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but almost never is a
human victim devoured.
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(dramatic music)
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Sharks thought to attack people
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as potential food can strike,
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bite, and then reject
the taste as unpalatable.
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But tiger sharks have been called
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the garbage disposal units of the sea.
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Which is an understatement.
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All kinds of things have
been found in their stomachs
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including beer bottles,
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old tires,
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license plates,
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even a full suit of armor.
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(dramatic music)
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Like white sharks, they're
considered very dangerous.
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But the tiger prefers warmer waters.
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Where the ocean has become
a marine playground.
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(dramatic music)
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Popular among hordes of sport divers,
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snorkelers, and surfers.
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(dramatic music)
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Someone who regards the tiger shark
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as fascinating, rather than frightening,
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is an extraordinary man
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Mark Addison.
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Not only is he about to come face to face
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with this species
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but he'll be underwater
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unprotected and unable to breathe.
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(slow music)
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This is the story of a
remarkable and unique
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relationship between one of the ocean's
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most ferocious predators
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and Mark,
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a man who is helping to
show us a different side
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to this so-called man eater.
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(slow music)
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For over 20 years Mark
Addison has observed
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marine species.
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He runs a dive business
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supervising shark encounters.
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And through many hours spent underwater
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he's helped marine scientists to discover
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valuable new information
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about a range of little known behaviors.
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From migration routes,
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to interactions with divers.
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For this type of shark adventure
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Mark heads to the Aliwal Shoal,
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a long narrow sub title reef
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five kilometers off South
Africa's east coast.
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It's a popular dive site
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teeming with ragged tooth sharks.
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It also happens to be a
hot spot for tiger sharks.
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One of the best places to see them.
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But only if you know what to look for.
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- [Voiceover] Tiger sharks
are incredibly shy animals
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despite their ferocious reputation.
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You know there are literally thousands
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of divers that come
here to the Aliwal Shoal
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every year.
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Very few, if any,
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have ever seen a tiger shark.
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(dramatic music)
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- [Voiceover] Mark doesn't
argue with the idea
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that even for the shark, the tiger is
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a particularly formidable species.
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He has the evidence.
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- So this is what can happen
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when tiger shark meets diver.
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This was all they found.
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Whether the victim was
alive or dead at the time,
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they don't know.
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I sincerely hope she was already dead.
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- [Voiceover] So, in the straight man
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versus shark contest,
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how do they match up?
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Their vital statistics say it all.
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The largest tiger shark may reach over
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five meters in length.
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Weigh over 600 kilos
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and have around 100 serrated teeth
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designed to cut through flesh
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and sever bone.
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Combined with an
incredibly well muscled jaw
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it could easily sever a limb in one bite.
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Underwater, the tiger shark
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is in its element.
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Mark Addison is one meter 90
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and weighs a little over 100 kilos.
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His natural home is on dry land.
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Underwater he has two
options for survival.
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A tank of air
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or not breathing.
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Mark made his first
dive to tiger territory
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using regular scuba gear.
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Like anyone who'd read about this shark
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and heard the stories,
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he was incredibly wary
of their reputation.
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But a great deal of the
science of tiger shark behavior
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is still based on speculation.
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Having worked with marine scientists
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on how sharks and divers interact,
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Mark made the same approach
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to try and attract tiger sharks
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and find out what they were really like.
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During his early dives
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he watched them from the
safety of an undersea cave
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where he could protect
his back from attack.
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For hour after hour he would keep
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at a safe distance, and observe.
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Surprisingly, it was the tiger sharks
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that seemed more nervous.
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In all this time, not one approached him.
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As fear turned to frustration,
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Mark reached a turning
point in his strategy.
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He thought the tiger
sharks lack of interest
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could be due to the stream of bubbles
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and loud noise made by the scuba gear.
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(bubbling water)
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These early dives showed Mark
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that the sharks weren't
going to attack him on site.
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Soon he craved getting closer.
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This meant coming up
with a better strategy.
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He needed to get their attention.
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Inspiration came from his past.
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As a former spear fisherman
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Mark had dived using the breath hold,
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or free diving technique.
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That meant no tanks,
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no loud noise,
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and no bubbles.
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In the past he'd often find himself
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surrounded by inquisitive of sharks.
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(dramatic music)
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But attracting sharks while spear fishing
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is a good way to get bitten.
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With blood in the water
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sharks can become dangerous.
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On numerous dives Mark
would have to deal with
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hordes of frenzied sharks.
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And these were just black tips.
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A tiger shark was in a
whole different league.
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- [Mark] During my spear fishing years
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if we even saw a tiger shark
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frankly we'd get on the boat
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and we were out of the area
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as fast as we could.
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(slow music)
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- [Voiceover] Through spear fishing,
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Mark became a skilled free diver.
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He can stay underwater on a single breath
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reaching depths of up to 45 meters.
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Mark must be careful, though.
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He suffers from a medical condition
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called sinus bradycardia.
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This gives him a very
low resting heart rate.
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Just 30 beats per minute.
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This lower heart rate means
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he uses less oxygen on a dive
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and can stay down for up
to six minutes at a time.
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But free diving is a dangerous activity.
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Even without the sharks.
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One of the greatest
hazards is a potentially
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fatal physiological phenomenon
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called shallow water blackout.
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A sudden loss of consciousness
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caused by oxygen starvation.
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It usually strikes within just
five meters of the surface.
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As you ascend, your lungs expand
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and suck any remaining oxygen
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from your bloodstream.
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Which can lead to a blackout.
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It occurs rapidly,
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insidiously,
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and without warning.
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So now,
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as Mark prepares for
another deep free dive
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he faces a far greater
threat from his own body
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than from the sharks
he's about to confront.
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Mark Addison will dive
without scuba equipment
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and unprotected by a cage
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or chain mail suit.
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When most of us would be experiencing
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a serious dose of fear
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ith pumping adrenaline
and a declining heart rate
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Mark is relaxed and calm.
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(ominous music)
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The location for Mark's dive
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is not short on typical tiger shark prey.
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Aliwal Shoal is formed by
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a submerged rocky alcove
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that attracts lots of marine life.
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The bottom rises from
around 30 meters down
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to within just five meters at the surface.
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The shoal stretches three kilometers
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end to end.
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It's a location popular for
anyone wanting to see sharks.
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Ragged tooths aren't harmless
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but it's possible that
they are less aggressive
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in these warm waters.
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Not far away, but largely unseen,
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there is another, far
more menacing species.
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Despite the thousands of
divers that visit the shoal
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there's only a handful
who will ever realize
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there are tiger sharks here.
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But if their infamy for attacking humans
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is to be believed,
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why do they leave so much
potential food unmolested?
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And even unaware of their presence?
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Perhaps, like most bad reputations,
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nothing is ever quite as it seems.
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Even Mark, who'd seen
aggressive tiger sharks
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while spear fishing,
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was surprised by their
restrained behavior.
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- [Mark] The thing about the tiger shark
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is that, unlike the white shark,
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they are very weary and cautious.
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If you add that to the fact
they travel vast distances,
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80, 100, 120 kilometers in a day,
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the fact that they are supposed
to be solitary creatures,
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it makes it very difficult
to work with them
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let alone see them.
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- [Voiceover] The great
white and tiger shark
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may share top place for being dangerous,
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but they belong to
different shark families.
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Tigers, alongside many
other tropical species,
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are requiem sharks.
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They're characterized by
a distinctive protective
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eyelid called a nictitating membrane
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which covers the eye during
the final phase of attack.
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The territories of the
two species overlap.
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Comfortable in colder waters too,
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the great whites occur all around the
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South African coastline.
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Tiger sharks are believed to
stick to the warmer waters.
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(dramatic music)
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Preparing the free dive
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Mark heads out to the shoal.
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This is diving stripped
to the bare minimum.
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Just a wet suit, bait,
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and someone to make
sure the boat stays put.
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- All right, this is the spot.
274
00:15:17,062 --> 00:15:19,383
It looks certainly much flatter.
275
00:15:24,274 --> 00:15:26,082
- [Voiceover] Before he
dives, Mark laces the water
276
00:15:26,082 --> 00:15:27,728
with a bait stone,
277
00:15:27,728 --> 00:15:30,511
a steel drum filled with mashed sardines,
278
00:15:30,511 --> 00:15:33,342
and a line hung with whole fish.
279
00:15:35,631 --> 00:15:38,211
Though controversial, because
it can habituate sharks
280
00:15:38,211 --> 00:15:40,710
and make them more
aggressive around divers,
281
00:15:40,710 --> 00:15:42,640
Mark knows the technique
will bring the sharks
282
00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:44,393
very close.
283
00:15:46,419 --> 00:15:48,146
Priming the water works,
284
00:15:48,146 --> 00:15:50,402
because sharks can smell
even the faintest traces
285
00:15:50,402 --> 00:15:52,845
of fish oils and blood.
286
00:15:55,358 --> 00:15:58,062
As the oily slick is
carried in the current
287
00:15:58,062 --> 00:16:01,399
it reaches the super
sensitive nose of the shark.
288
00:16:01,415 --> 00:16:04,951
(dramatic music)
289
00:16:10,921 --> 00:16:14,010
The female adopts a criss
cross swimming pattern.
290
00:16:14,010 --> 00:16:16,802
The same she uses when she's hunting.
291
00:16:20,877 --> 00:16:23,849
The scent trail leads her to Mark's boat.
292
00:16:26,648 --> 00:16:29,802
And her shadow passes under the hull.
293
00:16:30,041 --> 00:16:31,563
By Mark's calculation
294
00:16:31,563 --> 00:16:34,249
a four and a half meter tiger shark.
295
00:16:34,670 --> 00:16:37,560
- I can see a shark there.
296
00:16:38,103 --> 00:16:39,667
No, that looks like a tiger.
297
00:16:39,667 --> 00:16:41,077
Reach up (crosstalk)
298
00:16:41,077 --> 00:16:44,996
(dramatic music)
299
00:16:55,007 --> 00:16:56,571
- [Voiceover] Without much of a breath
300
00:16:56,571 --> 00:16:59,564
Mark's in the water and diving down.
301
00:17:00,228 --> 00:17:04,237
(dramatic music)
302
00:17:29,017 --> 00:17:31,740
- [Mark] If I think back,
the first time I free dived
303
00:17:31,740 --> 00:17:33,934
with a tiger shark
304
00:17:33,934 --> 00:17:36,698
it was like someone was
turned on the light.
305
00:17:36,698 --> 00:17:37,916
Put on a pair of spectacles.
306
00:17:37,916 --> 00:17:40,152
Everything became so much clearer.
307
00:17:40,152 --> 00:17:42,468
Reaction turning to interaction,
308
00:17:42,468 --> 00:17:44,743
I was able to respond
to them and certainly
309
00:17:44,743 --> 00:17:49,299
they seemed less and
less threatened by me.
310
00:17:49,299 --> 00:17:51,212
It was probably the
most profound experience
311
00:17:51,212 --> 00:17:52,702
of my life.
312
00:17:55,641 --> 00:17:57,978
After the initial fear
313
00:17:57,978 --> 00:18:00,314
I couldn't help notice
that this female shark,
314
00:18:00,314 --> 00:18:02,366
in my opinion, meant me no harm.
315
00:18:02,366 --> 00:18:03,199
It sounds crazy,
316
00:18:03,199 --> 00:18:04,906
but it was kind of like the
317
00:18:04,906 --> 00:18:07,811
the relationships you hear
between dolphin and man.
318
00:18:07,811 --> 00:18:08,929
I really felt it,
319
00:18:08,929 --> 00:18:10,432
that she meant me no harm.
320
00:18:10,432 --> 00:18:12,362
I was certainly not a threat to her.
321
00:18:12,362 --> 00:18:14,617
And that we could interact like this.
322
00:18:14,617 --> 00:18:16,729
I knew then that we were on the edge
323
00:18:16,729 --> 00:18:19,357
of something extraordinary.
324
00:18:22,398 --> 00:18:23,861
- [Voiceover] Looking at this scene
325
00:18:23,861 --> 00:18:25,181
it's hard to believe
326
00:18:25,181 --> 00:18:28,107
that this species has one
of the worst reputations
327
00:18:28,107 --> 00:18:30,998
among divers and shark watchers.
328
00:18:34,061 --> 00:18:36,256
One of its common names says it all.
329
00:18:36,256 --> 00:18:37,453
Here they call it
330
00:18:37,453 --> 00:18:39,554
the man eater shark.
331
00:18:41,821 --> 00:18:44,483
But while Mark appears
to be surviving his dive
332
00:18:44,483 --> 00:18:47,313
there are many other
ocean creatures who don't.
333
00:18:48,241 --> 00:18:51,722
The tiger shark is undeniably
a formidable predator.
334
00:18:53,849 --> 00:18:56,734
It can pick up very low
frequency pressure waves
335
00:18:56,734 --> 00:19:00,234
like those given off
by an injured creature.
336
00:19:02,138 --> 00:19:03,215
When it attacks
337
00:19:03,215 --> 00:19:05,410
it does so with aggression.
338
00:19:05,410 --> 00:19:07,522
Resulting in one of the
most brutal confrontations
339
00:19:07,522 --> 00:19:09,418
found in the sea.
340
00:19:09,879 --> 00:19:13,989
(dramatic music)
341
00:19:22,841 --> 00:19:26,214
Tiger sharks feed on a
vast range of sea life.
342
00:19:26,214 --> 00:19:28,267
Everything from fish and seals
343
00:19:28,267 --> 00:19:31,279
to birds, and even smaller sharks.
344
00:19:31,780 --> 00:19:33,446
And they're one of the few species
345
00:19:33,446 --> 00:19:35,884
that can feed on armor plated turtles
346
00:19:35,884 --> 00:19:38,180
including the loggerhead.
347
00:19:38,180 --> 00:19:42,087
(dramatic music)
348
00:19:53,479 --> 00:19:55,450
The tiger sharks formidable jaw strength
349
00:19:55,450 --> 00:19:57,504
enables it to open up
the shell of a turtle
350
00:19:57,504 --> 00:19:59,229
like a tin can.
351
00:19:59,229 --> 00:20:01,307
And get to the good bit.
352
00:20:02,155 --> 00:20:04,046
While many shark teeth are designed to cut
353
00:20:04,046 --> 00:20:06,746
with the top set and grip at the bottom
354
00:20:06,746 --> 00:20:08,676
the tiger shark has almost identical teeth
355
00:20:08,676 --> 00:20:10,613
above and below.
356
00:20:11,684 --> 00:20:13,715
Their sickle shape is unique
357
00:20:13,715 --> 00:20:16,498
forming triangles with
heavily serrated edges
358
00:20:16,498 --> 00:20:18,856
and a deep notch at the rear.
359
00:20:18,856 --> 00:20:19,932
The available jaw pressure
360
00:20:19,932 --> 00:20:22,803
is around three tons
per square centimeter.
361
00:20:26,230 --> 00:20:28,506
Combined with this violent head shaking
362
00:20:28,506 --> 00:20:31,295
they literally tear their victims apart.
363
00:20:33,891 --> 00:20:35,698
Large turtles are usually only on the menu
364
00:20:35,698 --> 00:20:38,299
for tiger sharks over three meters
365
00:20:38,299 --> 00:20:39,579
with enough jaw power to deal
366
00:20:39,579 --> 00:20:41,759
with such a tough shell.
367
00:20:45,287 --> 00:20:48,626
So what's behind this shark's gluttony?
368
00:20:50,753 --> 00:20:54,030
This is a large and powerfully built fish.
369
00:20:54,044 --> 00:20:57,051
It requires a lot of
fuel to keep it running.
370
00:20:57,051 --> 00:20:59,496
Not being a fussy eater helps.
371
00:21:11,659 --> 00:21:13,793
Their voracious appetites
also provides Mark
372
00:21:13,793 --> 00:21:15,154
with a foolproof strategy
373
00:21:15,154 --> 00:21:17,246
for keeping the tiger sharks close
374
00:21:17,246 --> 00:21:18,954
while enabling him to make some remarkable
375
00:21:18,954 --> 00:21:20,909
observations.
376
00:21:22,327 --> 00:21:25,420
(water splashing)
377
00:21:27,567 --> 00:21:28,766
Two sharks in particular
378
00:21:28,766 --> 00:21:31,291
draw his undivided attention.
379
00:21:31,409 --> 00:21:33,075
A pair of tigers he's nicknamed
380
00:21:33,075 --> 00:21:34,922
the psycho sisters.
381
00:21:34,922 --> 00:21:37,813
Who seem to enjoy giving him a hard time.
382
00:21:40,876 --> 00:21:43,760
- [Mark] Certainly they
understand how to get to the bait.
383
00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:44,877
They figured out very quickly
384
00:21:44,877 --> 00:21:46,828
they hold the drum, it
sinks to the bottom,
385
00:21:46,828 --> 00:21:48,229
so it leaves it fall out,
386
00:21:48,229 --> 00:21:50,150
they get the spoils.
387
00:21:50,150 --> 00:21:52,249
They win the game.
388
00:21:57,932 --> 00:22:00,045
- [Voiceover] Mark has
proved he can get close.
389
00:22:00,045 --> 00:22:02,686
But can he truly interact with the sharks
390
00:22:02,686 --> 00:22:04,459
on their terms?
391
00:22:07,927 --> 00:22:09,065
If he is ever to understand
392
00:22:09,065 --> 00:22:11,118
what makes a tiger shark tick,
393
00:22:11,118 --> 00:22:13,419
he needs to get closer yet.
394
00:22:13,839 --> 00:22:15,993
His next plan involves holding the bait
395
00:22:15,993 --> 00:22:17,902
and trying to hand feed.
396
00:22:17,902 --> 00:22:21,789
(dramatic music)
397
00:22:27,229 --> 00:22:30,012
Not surprisingly, Mark's
manner of methodology
398
00:22:30,012 --> 00:22:32,510
has attracted the attention of scientists.
399
00:22:32,510 --> 00:22:34,927
Among them, Dr. Matt Dicken
400
00:22:34,927 --> 00:22:37,365
from the Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University
401
00:22:37,365 --> 00:22:39,212
in South Africa.
402
00:22:39,212 --> 00:22:40,531
Who has studied the movement patterns
403
00:22:40,531 --> 00:22:42,508
of the tiger shark.
404
00:22:42,623 --> 00:22:43,863
- [Dr. Dicken] When I
first heard about Mark's
405
00:22:43,863 --> 00:22:45,184
work on tiger sharks, I thought,
406
00:22:45,184 --> 00:22:47,398
Jeez, this guy has got
a bit of a death wish.
407
00:22:47,398 --> 00:22:48,881
But I must say I was intrigued.
408
00:22:48,881 --> 00:22:50,364
If he can get up close and personal
409
00:22:50,364 --> 00:22:51,583
to tiger sharks
410
00:22:51,583 --> 00:22:54,165
without spooking or provoking them,
411
00:22:54,165 --> 00:22:55,850
it really would be a first.
412
00:22:55,850 --> 00:22:57,455
And this would be valuable.
413
00:22:57,455 --> 00:22:59,488
The only time tiger sharks we've observed
414
00:22:59,488 --> 00:23:02,839
and passed around fairly
in antagonistic conditions.
415
00:23:02,839 --> 00:23:04,932
In fact, we know very
little about tiger sharks.
416
00:23:04,932 --> 00:23:06,252
Anything we can start to find out
417
00:23:06,252 --> 00:23:08,324
is gonna be crucial to understanding
418
00:23:08,324 --> 00:23:11,587
of this very unique species.
419
00:23:11,587 --> 00:23:15,475
(dramatic music)
420
00:23:17,196 --> 00:23:18,475
- [Voiceover] He's so intrigued by talk
421
00:23:18,475 --> 00:23:20,628
of Mark's encounters,
that he's joining him
422
00:23:20,628 --> 00:23:22,706
on the next dive.
423
00:23:30,737 --> 00:23:34,958
(dramatic music)
424
00:23:41,272 --> 00:23:43,653
- [Dr. Dicken] Conditions look great.
425
00:23:46,777 --> 00:23:48,796
- Okay Mark, we'll see you down there.
426
00:23:55,116 --> 00:23:56,730
- [Voiceover] Sinking into the blue
427
00:23:56,730 --> 00:23:59,271
Mark makes his technique look easy.
428
00:23:59,271 --> 00:24:00,794
But there's more to this kind of diving
429
00:24:00,794 --> 00:24:02,750
than strong arms.
430
00:24:04,898 --> 00:24:07,356
Matt is diving using scuba gear.
431
00:24:07,356 --> 00:24:08,698
An onboard air supply
432
00:24:08,698 --> 00:24:10,201
with a buoyancy controlled device
433
00:24:10,201 --> 00:24:12,076
to adjust his depth.
434
00:24:14,020 --> 00:24:15,645
Mark, by contrast,
435
00:24:15,645 --> 00:24:17,820
will have only the air in his lungs
436
00:24:17,820 --> 00:24:20,914
and a weight belt to
maintain the depth he wants.
437
00:24:22,127 --> 00:24:24,301
Every movement, and every second down here
438
00:24:24,301 --> 00:24:27,171
he's using up that valuable air.
439
00:24:27,857 --> 00:24:29,552
And the first part of the dive
440
00:24:29,552 --> 00:24:31,752
is spent waiting.
441
00:24:36,013 --> 00:24:37,944
Then the first shark shows up.
442
00:24:37,944 --> 00:24:40,098
And it's the same one
from the earlier dive.
443
00:24:40,098 --> 00:24:41,722
A large female.
444
00:24:41,722 --> 00:24:43,733
And like a dog who's found a new friend
445
00:24:43,733 --> 00:24:46,624
she almost seems to recognize Mark.
446
00:24:48,183 --> 00:24:50,017
He's noticed the familiar faint stripes
447
00:24:50,017 --> 00:24:51,822
on her sides.
448
00:24:52,272 --> 00:24:54,222
So he decides to take the relationship
449
00:24:54,222 --> 00:24:56,138
a stage further.
450
00:24:57,901 --> 00:24:59,647
When the time seems right
451
00:24:59,647 --> 00:25:02,458
he reaches out and touches her.
452
00:25:03,690 --> 00:25:04,787
- [Mark] Well I thought
453
00:25:04,787 --> 00:25:06,047
if we're going to be friends,
454
00:25:06,047 --> 00:25:07,591
and I clearly hoped that we were,
455
00:25:07,591 --> 00:25:09,887
that I should give her a name.
456
00:25:09,887 --> 00:25:11,451
Delores seemed to fit somehow.
457
00:25:11,451 --> 00:25:13,017
It wasn't too ferocious.
458
00:25:13,017 --> 00:25:14,357
It's kind of appealing.
459
00:25:14,357 --> 00:25:16,328
I think she would have approved.
460
00:25:16,328 --> 00:25:17,182
It's funny,
461
00:25:17,182 --> 00:25:18,827
but once I'd given her a name
462
00:25:18,827 --> 00:25:20,393
I really began to see her
463
00:25:20,393 --> 00:25:22,362
like I would a well-loved pet.
464
00:25:22,362 --> 00:25:25,476
Plus to have that just little bit extra.
465
00:25:29,513 --> 00:25:30,468
- [Voiceover] Of course a tiger shark
466
00:25:30,468 --> 00:25:32,317
can never be a pet.
467
00:25:32,317 --> 00:25:34,714
But Mark's feelings have
testimony to the unusual bond
468
00:25:34,714 --> 00:25:38,337
developing between him
and this one female.
469
00:25:38,798 --> 00:25:41,187
Delores has stripes that are less defined
470
00:25:41,187 --> 00:25:44,809
which gives her age to
about 10 or 15 years old.
471
00:25:45,332 --> 00:25:47,161
The older tiger sharks get
472
00:25:47,161 --> 00:25:49,604
the fainter the stripes become.
473
00:26:03,496 --> 00:26:05,994
As Mark's confidence is given a boost
474
00:26:05,994 --> 00:26:08,361
he decides it's time to
try and offer Delores
475
00:26:08,361 --> 00:26:10,551
something to eat.
476
00:26:13,188 --> 00:26:14,628
Mark grabs a few fish
477
00:26:14,628 --> 00:26:17,046
and returns to find the shark.
478
00:26:17,046 --> 00:26:21,015
(slow music)
479
00:26:34,308 --> 00:26:37,334
In the most extraordinary
encounter of his life
480
00:26:37,334 --> 00:26:40,219
he feeds one of the ocean's
most ferocious predators
481
00:26:40,219 --> 00:26:41,669
by hand.
482
00:26:44,526 --> 00:26:45,950
- [Mark] Well the whole process of going
483
00:26:45,950 --> 00:26:47,696
to hand feed the tiger
shark for the first time
484
00:26:47,696 --> 00:26:51,272
is probably a lost worse then
actually feeding the animal.
485
00:26:51,272 --> 00:26:52,633
I just wasn't sure whether she would
486
00:26:52,633 --> 00:26:54,055
snatch, grab, of course,
487
00:26:54,055 --> 00:26:55,498
the business end of the tiger shark
488
00:26:55,498 --> 00:26:57,632
is the front end.
489
00:26:57,632 --> 00:26:58,972
I was very well aware of my
490
00:26:58,972 --> 00:27:00,496
limitations in the water.
491
00:27:00,496 --> 00:27:01,593
Because it's clearly going to be
492
00:27:01,593 --> 00:27:02,528
up to the shark
493
00:27:02,528 --> 00:27:04,971
as to how much further we could take this.
494
00:27:06,591 --> 00:27:07,729
- [Voiceover] Eventually they both seem to
495
00:27:07,729 --> 00:27:09,862
get used to the idea.
496
00:27:09,862 --> 00:27:13,809
(slow music)
497
00:27:25,325 --> 00:27:28,046
But just when Mark manages
to keep Delores interested
498
00:27:28,046 --> 00:27:30,849
without provoking a feeding frenzy,
499
00:27:30,849 --> 00:27:33,673
another shark arrives on the scene
500
00:27:33,673 --> 00:27:35,075
and Delores has some competition
501
00:27:35,075 --> 00:27:37,236
for Mark's attention.
502
00:27:39,606 --> 00:27:41,516
It's another female.
503
00:27:41,516 --> 00:27:43,939
Smaller, but no less confident.
504
00:27:47,611 --> 00:27:49,297
She circles for awhile
505
00:27:49,297 --> 00:27:51,497
then finally takes the bait.
506
00:28:04,779 --> 00:28:07,542
And just when Mark thinks
his hands are full,
507
00:28:07,542 --> 00:28:09,886
something quite remarkable happens.
508
00:28:13,515 --> 00:28:15,282
Out in the infinity
509
00:28:15,282 --> 00:28:17,645
he spots even more sharks.
510
00:28:23,084 --> 00:28:25,320
Mark is in the middle of a whole pack.
511
00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:26,904
Over 20 sharks,
512
00:28:26,904 --> 00:28:29,917
tigers, bulls, and black tips.
513
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,585
And if that wasn't enough,
514
00:28:43,585 --> 00:28:46,083
he's been down here
several minutes already.
515
00:28:46,083 --> 00:28:49,137
And he needs to get another breath of air.
516
00:28:49,618 --> 00:28:51,833
That means turning his back on the sharks
517
00:28:51,833 --> 00:28:54,473
and swimming to the surface.
518
00:28:54,698 --> 00:28:56,465
Leaving him vulnerable to attack
519
00:28:56,465 --> 00:28:57,752
from below.
520
00:28:58,802 --> 00:29:02,913
(dramatic music)
521
00:29:13,206 --> 00:29:17,297
(slow music)
522
00:29:28,220 --> 00:29:29,886
The sheer number of sharks
523
00:29:29,886 --> 00:29:31,595
among them, several tigers,
524
00:29:31,595 --> 00:29:33,096
is remarkable.
525
00:29:33,096 --> 00:29:35,906
And an exhilarating experience for Mark.
526
00:29:35,921 --> 00:29:39,334
Allowing him to see how they
interact with each other.
527
00:29:39,334 --> 00:29:43,363
(slow music)
528
00:29:50,102 --> 00:29:52,724
While Mark has attracted all these sharks
529
00:29:52,724 --> 00:29:55,209
they do appear to be
tolerant of each other.
530
00:29:55,345 --> 00:29:57,930
Even operating some kind of pecking order.
531
00:29:58,025 --> 00:29:59,373
A hierarchy.
532
00:30:00,687 --> 00:30:02,111
It's not just fascinating for Mark
533
00:30:02,111 --> 00:30:05,325
to see so many sharks in one place.
534
00:30:05,847 --> 00:30:09,120
Witnessing this incredible
encounter is Matt.
535
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:10,421
He's been watching the whole interaction
536
00:30:10,421 --> 00:30:12,010
as it unfolds.
537
00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,114
And then Mark notices something remarkable
538
00:30:15,114 --> 00:30:16,947
about these sharks.
539
00:30:16,981 --> 00:30:19,142
All the tigers are female.
540
00:30:19,460 --> 00:30:20,699
To find out the significance
541
00:30:20,699 --> 00:30:23,240
of so many female tiger sharks
542
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,602
Matt will need to follow them.
543
00:30:34,657 --> 00:30:36,607
And he sees some scientific potential
544
00:30:36,607 --> 00:30:38,111
for Mark's low tech approach
545
00:30:38,111 --> 00:30:40,901
to help with some high tech science.
546
00:30:41,241 --> 00:30:43,420
Attach a tracking device.
547
00:31:01,049 --> 00:31:02,879
- [Mark] Oh I admit, that was amazing.
548
00:31:02,879 --> 00:31:05,029
What do you think?
- [Matt] Holy cow.
549
00:31:12,619 --> 00:31:13,604
Wow.
550
00:31:13,604 --> 00:31:15,276
- [Mark] That was amazing.
551
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:17,972
- Oh it really was something else.
552
00:31:17,972 --> 00:31:19,130
You know, another interesting thing,
553
00:31:19,130 --> 00:31:20,999
apart from their numbers,
554
00:31:20,999 --> 00:31:22,706
they all seem to be adult,
555
00:31:22,706 --> 00:31:23,742
sub adult females.
556
00:31:23,742 --> 00:31:25,144
You know, where are the males
557
00:31:25,144 --> 00:31:26,525
and where are those juveniles?
558
00:31:26,525 --> 00:31:28,699
In your experience, have you seen those?
559
00:31:28,699 --> 00:31:29,593
- Ah, I haven't seen any males,
560
00:31:29,593 --> 00:31:31,401
but that would be my
question to you, come on.
561
00:31:31,401 --> 00:31:33,067
Help us out here with the science.
562
00:31:33,067 --> 00:31:34,307
- [Matt] Well you know, Mark, the less,
563
00:31:34,307 --> 00:31:36,521
again, this is a perfect opportunity.
564
00:31:36,521 --> 00:31:38,533
Let's get one of these
continual pinging tags
565
00:31:38,533 --> 00:31:39,569
on one of these sharks
566
00:31:39,569 --> 00:31:40,627
and see what they're doing
567
00:31:40,627 --> 00:31:42,785
for a 24 hour period.
568
00:31:43,267 --> 00:31:47,316
(dramatic music)
569
00:31:47,899 --> 00:31:49,632
- [Voiceover] But for
Mark the plan presents him
570
00:31:49,632 --> 00:31:51,361
with a dilemma.
571
00:31:51,598 --> 00:31:54,747
He's tagged sharks for marine
scientists in the past.
572
00:31:54,747 --> 00:31:56,251
But having spent so long getting so close
573
00:31:56,251 --> 00:31:59,711
to these creatures, he's
reacting emotionally.
574
00:31:59,989 --> 00:32:02,224
Many sharks bear wounds
inflicted by humans
575
00:32:02,224 --> 00:32:04,018
using spear guns.
576
00:32:04,764 --> 00:32:07,568
- [Mark] I feel that I've
gained these animals trust.
577
00:32:07,568 --> 00:32:09,152
They allow me to swim up close to them
578
00:32:09,152 --> 00:32:11,285
without biting me in two.
579
00:32:11,285 --> 00:32:14,516
And now, I know we've got
to tag them for science,
580
00:32:14,516 --> 00:32:16,785
and it's for their future.
581
00:32:16,785 --> 00:32:21,065
(dramatic music)
582
00:32:26,764 --> 00:32:28,272
- [Voiceover] Tagging these
sharks could also help
583
00:32:28,272 --> 00:32:30,749
predict their migration
routes along the coast
584
00:32:30,749 --> 00:32:32,253
when many become trapped in nets
585
00:32:32,253 --> 00:32:35,115
designed to protect
popular swimming beaches.
586
00:32:35,115 --> 00:32:36,313
Knowing their preferred routes
587
00:32:36,313 --> 00:32:37,695
might help marine authorities
588
00:32:37,695 --> 00:32:40,769
save some sharks from ending up entangled.
589
00:32:40,905 --> 00:32:42,285
Many of these sharks may not even be
590
00:32:42,285 --> 00:32:43,938
resident here.
591
00:32:45,456 --> 00:32:47,752
Tiger shark tagging studies
have already revealed
592
00:32:47,752 --> 00:32:51,430
this species regularly
travels vast distances.
593
00:32:51,430 --> 00:32:53,948
One swam to this coast from Australia
594
00:32:53,948 --> 00:32:56,393
in just 99 days.
595
00:32:59,332 --> 00:33:00,795
So this is a crucial opportunity
596
00:33:00,795 --> 00:33:03,214
for Mark to place his free diving skills
597
00:33:03,214 --> 00:33:05,184
and tiger shark interaction
598
00:33:05,184 --> 00:33:07,547
at the service of science.
599
00:33:10,669 --> 00:33:13,520
(engine revving)
600
00:33:16,764 --> 00:33:19,304
Mark agrees to the tagging dive.
601
00:33:19,304 --> 00:33:21,681
He'll be calling on
everything he's learned so far
602
00:33:21,681 --> 00:33:24,424
to make sure the tag
goes in the first time
603
00:33:24,424 --> 00:33:26,910
without their noticing.
604
00:33:42,729 --> 00:33:44,192
- [Matt] How's that Mark, feeling well?
605
00:33:44,192 --> 00:33:45,391
- [Mark] (mumbling) tag it
606
00:33:45,391 --> 00:33:46,651
but I'll (mumbling be okay.
607
00:33:46,651 --> 00:33:48,810
- [Matt] All right, fantastic.
608
00:33:55,224 --> 00:33:57,277
- [Voiceover] Mark chooses
his first guinea pig
609
00:33:57,277 --> 00:34:00,635
to try to help him refine
his tagging technique.
610
00:34:00,730 --> 00:34:02,789
He decides on Delores.
611
00:34:02,986 --> 00:34:05,261
He's used to spearing smaller fish
612
00:34:05,261 --> 00:34:06,764
so he should be able to hit his target
613
00:34:06,764 --> 00:34:08,552
with the first shot.
614
00:34:08,552 --> 00:34:09,406
The thick skin
615
00:34:09,406 --> 00:34:11,809
just where the fin joins the body.
616
00:34:18,284 --> 00:34:20,112
Swimming behind Delores
617
00:34:20,112 --> 00:34:22,043
Mark hopes she'll barely
notice a difference
618
00:34:22,043 --> 00:34:24,121
in his usual behavior.
619
00:34:24,704 --> 00:34:28,409
(dramatic music)
620
00:34:44,595 --> 00:34:47,744
Then another shark offers
her services to science
621
00:34:47,744 --> 00:34:50,329
and tag number two hits home.
622
00:34:54,103 --> 00:34:55,566
All they need to do now is lock onto
623
00:34:55,566 --> 00:34:57,496
the signals at the surface
624
00:34:57,496 --> 00:35:00,082
and they can follow the sharks every move.
625
00:35:18,442 --> 00:35:20,048
Using a hydro phone
626
00:35:20,048 --> 00:35:22,838
they can pinpoint the
sharks precise coordinates.
627
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:26,813
For a marine scientist, a tracking device
628
00:35:26,813 --> 00:35:30,416
is a crucial link in
understanding their behavior.
629
00:35:30,633 --> 00:35:32,931
The data collected would
be impossible to get
630
00:35:32,931 --> 00:35:36,470
from an oceanic species through
dive observations alone.
631
00:35:38,233 --> 00:35:41,773
And for Matt, the tiger shark
is especially important.
632
00:35:42,742 --> 00:35:45,877
It's a species whose
behavior is not well known.
633
00:35:48,877 --> 00:35:50,239
Tracking the sharks via tags
634
00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:51,905
will be like throwing a switch
635
00:35:51,905 --> 00:35:55,156
and making the surface
of the sea transparent.
636
00:35:55,156 --> 00:35:59,022
(slow music)
637
00:36:06,573 --> 00:36:09,317
Day and night, for the next 24 hours
638
00:36:09,317 --> 00:36:11,165
everything these two sharks do
639
00:36:11,165 --> 00:36:13,264
will be monitored.
640
00:36:13,847 --> 00:36:17,978
(slow music)
641
00:36:25,184 --> 00:36:26,525
- [Mark] One four seven, eh?
642
00:36:26,525 --> 00:36:27,479
(mumbling)
643
00:36:27,479 --> 00:36:30,513
We're going to save this as a stop point.
644
00:36:34,699 --> 00:36:37,964
- [Voiceover] As fatigue begins
to kick in on the surface
645
00:36:37,964 --> 00:36:41,113
the tiger shark just
keeps on going and going.
646
00:36:41,113 --> 00:36:44,532
Apparently without any
need for rest, or respite.
647
00:36:49,829 --> 00:36:52,110
- Have you got a signal?
648
00:36:52,328 --> 00:36:55,605
- [Voiceover] The same cannot
be said for Matt and Mark.
649
00:36:56,737 --> 00:36:57,915
- I like it that we've got this GPS
650
00:36:57,915 --> 00:36:59,811
otherwise we'd be lost now.
651
00:37:00,212 --> 00:37:01,409
- [Voiceover] Back on dry land,
652
00:37:01,409 --> 00:37:03,543
and after a good nights sleep,
653
00:37:03,543 --> 00:37:05,412
analyzing the data really begins to yield
654
00:37:05,412 --> 00:37:07,795
some fascinating information.
655
00:37:07,891 --> 00:37:10,492
It seems that while the
sharks were on the move
656
00:37:10,492 --> 00:37:12,949
they swam between 10 dive boats
657
00:37:12,949 --> 00:37:15,353
and yet no sightings were reported.
658
00:37:17,318 --> 00:37:19,682
And the revelations don't end here.
659
00:37:20,528 --> 00:37:22,418
They've also fitted pop up archival
660
00:37:22,418 --> 00:37:25,024
satellite tags for the sharks.
661
00:37:25,526 --> 00:37:28,398
These work in a different
way to the acoustic tags.
662
00:37:28,411 --> 00:37:29,406
They record information
663
00:37:29,406 --> 00:37:31,668
for as long as they're
attached to the shark.
664
00:37:32,596 --> 00:37:34,364
Each tag contains a mini computer
665
00:37:34,364 --> 00:37:36,436
that logs data from three sensors
666
00:37:36,436 --> 00:37:39,571
indicating depth, light, and temperature.
667
00:37:40,540 --> 00:37:42,186
And an antenna that enables this data
668
00:37:42,186 --> 00:37:44,488
to be transmitted via satellite.
669
00:37:47,184 --> 00:37:49,851
Scientists receive an
email from the shark.
670
00:37:49,947 --> 00:37:51,411
A stream of encypted code
671
00:37:51,411 --> 00:37:53,807
that they translate into
where the shark has been
672
00:37:53,807 --> 00:37:55,378
and how deep.
673
00:37:56,611 --> 00:37:58,236
After a preset period
674
00:37:58,236 --> 00:37:59,699
in this case, four months,
675
00:37:59,699 --> 00:38:01,974
an electrical discharge
melts the copper wire
676
00:38:01,974 --> 00:38:03,681
holding it to the shark.
677
00:38:03,681 --> 00:38:05,245
And it floats to the surface
678
00:38:05,245 --> 00:38:07,608
where it transmits it's position.
679
00:38:07,967 --> 00:38:09,796
And if the tag can be retrieved
680
00:38:09,796 --> 00:38:11,544
it will provide more detailed data
681
00:38:11,544 --> 00:38:13,541
about the sharks movements.
682
00:38:18,431 --> 00:38:21,886
It's now four months since
Mark tagged the two sharks.
683
00:38:21,886 --> 00:38:24,060
One of them has turned up on Cozy Bay,
684
00:38:24,060 --> 00:38:27,336
around 500 kilometers
from the Aliwal Shoal.
685
00:38:30,276 --> 00:38:31,515
But the signal is coming from over
686
00:38:31,515 --> 00:38:33,534
a kilometer inland.
687
00:38:33,669 --> 00:38:36,438
Even the tiger shark isn't that adaptable.
688
00:38:41,653 --> 00:38:43,807
The chances are it's been
picked up by fishermen
689
00:38:43,807 --> 00:38:45,601
and taken home.
690
00:38:50,044 --> 00:38:51,954
After a quick visit to the village,
691
00:38:51,954 --> 00:38:54,900
Matt manages to retrieve
his precious tagging device
692
00:38:54,900 --> 00:38:57,906
and returns to the Oceanographic Institute
693
00:38:57,906 --> 00:38:59,695
to analyze its valuable data.
694
00:38:59,695 --> 00:39:01,464
- [Matt] Thanks very much.
- Thanks man.
695
00:39:01,464 --> 00:39:03,479
- [Matt] Where did you find it?
696
00:39:04,246 --> 00:39:06,053
- [Voiceover] Once again,
the tiger shark manages
697
00:39:06,053 --> 00:39:08,275
to surprise Matt.
698
00:39:09,407 --> 00:39:10,789
The shark wearing this tag
699
00:39:10,789 --> 00:39:13,775
went to a depth of 888 meters,
700
00:39:13,775 --> 00:39:17,213
that's twice the depth
scientists believe possible.
701
00:39:19,645 --> 00:39:21,271
But then, a signal from the other sharks
702
00:39:21,271 --> 00:39:23,547
acoustic tag is picked up.
703
00:39:23,917 --> 00:39:26,817
And the location of this
one comes as more of a shock
704
00:39:26,817 --> 00:39:28,958
than a surprise.
705
00:39:29,419 --> 00:39:31,896
Its signal has been
picked up by Alison Kock,
706
00:39:31,896 --> 00:39:34,600
a marine biologist based in Cape Town.
707
00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:35,920
A long way from where the tiger shark
708
00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:38,547
has ever been found before.
709
00:39:45,225 --> 00:39:46,709
- [Mark] Apparently the tag was somewhere
710
00:39:46,709 --> 00:39:49,228
in False Bay, over on the Cape coast.
711
00:39:49,228 --> 00:39:51,449
And I headed out that way.
712
00:39:54,246 --> 00:39:55,892
Sea temperatures there are far lower
713
00:39:55,892 --> 00:39:57,924
than the tiger sharks
physiologically want to go
714
00:39:57,924 --> 00:39:58,960
to stand.
715
00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,446
So who knows how its survived.
716
00:40:03,815 --> 00:40:06,111
This tag was especially significant.
717
00:40:06,111 --> 00:40:08,556
It was the one I put on Delores.
718
00:40:11,536 --> 00:40:12,754
- [Voiceover] Being in False Bay
719
00:40:12,754 --> 00:40:14,854
would be very bad news.
720
00:40:14,969 --> 00:40:17,002
If the sea temperature doesn't get her,
721
00:40:17,002 --> 00:40:19,486
there's something else that might.
722
00:40:19,805 --> 00:40:21,348
Among shark watchers
723
00:40:21,348 --> 00:40:24,545
False Bay is infamous
for one very good reason.
724
00:40:28,744 --> 00:40:31,859
It's a stronghold for
the great white shark.
725
00:40:36,790 --> 00:40:38,720
In these waters, the great white
726
00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:41,367
has an advantage over the tiger shark.
727
00:40:41,402 --> 00:40:43,026
Unlike the tiger shark
728
00:40:43,026 --> 00:40:45,370
the great white is warm blooded.
729
00:40:45,689 --> 00:40:48,621
They have a sophisticated
heat exchange system.
730
00:40:48,758 --> 00:40:51,256
It recycles metabolically generated heat
731
00:40:51,256 --> 00:40:53,862
to warm the blood as it flows past.
732
00:40:58,305 --> 00:41:01,048
Cold, oxygenated blood
from the sharks gills
733
00:41:01,048 --> 00:41:03,324
passes through a dense bundle of veins
734
00:41:03,324 --> 00:41:04,543
where it is heated
735
00:41:04,543 --> 00:41:08,370
and carried directly to
the sharks internal organs.
736
00:41:14,234 --> 00:41:17,958
(dramatic music)
737
00:41:19,964 --> 00:41:22,422
The great white is able to
maintain a body temperature
738
00:41:22,422 --> 00:41:25,659
10 centigrade above the surrounding water.
739
00:41:27,948 --> 00:41:29,858
Ensuring that it's always operating
740
00:41:29,858 --> 00:41:32,790
at maximum predatory efficiency.
741
00:41:38,067 --> 00:41:40,037
In the colder waters of the Cape,
742
00:41:40,037 --> 00:41:42,435
the tiger shark will be
at a huge disadvantage
743
00:41:42,435 --> 00:41:44,513
against a great white.
744
00:41:53,487 --> 00:41:56,453
Determined to see if Delores
is here in False Bay,
745
00:41:56,453 --> 00:41:58,322
Mark commits to a free dive
746
00:41:58,322 --> 00:42:00,543
in white shark territory.
747
00:42:06,266 --> 00:42:07,363
- Well,
748
00:42:07,363 --> 00:42:09,070
cold Cape waters,
749
00:42:09,070 --> 00:42:10,595
white sharks.
750
00:42:10,595 --> 00:42:12,138
Nothing I've ever done before.
751
00:42:12,138 --> 00:42:14,719
I wonder how this is gonna turn out?
752
00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:15,470
I wonder what Delores thought
753
00:42:15,470 --> 00:42:16,952
when she came down here and saw
754
00:42:16,952 --> 00:42:19,458
the same as I'm about to see.
755
00:42:29,365 --> 00:42:30,321
- [Voiceover] The dive reveals only
756
00:42:30,321 --> 00:42:32,644
several great whites.
757
00:42:36,802 --> 00:42:38,795
(slow music)
758
00:42:38,795 --> 00:42:41,076
Of Delores, there's still no sign.
759
00:42:43,060 --> 00:42:46,236
Even though the signal from
her tag is still going.
760
00:42:50,069 --> 00:42:52,162
And then comes the realization.
761
00:42:52,162 --> 00:42:54,763
That she's probably not here after all.
762
00:42:54,763 --> 00:42:57,038
But any sense of relief is short lived
763
00:42:57,038 --> 00:42:59,049
as another, more distressing explanation
764
00:42:59,049 --> 00:43:02,428
for the tags location emerges.
765
00:43:04,190 --> 00:43:07,712
And it's one that Mark may
have to come to terms with.
766
00:43:12,479 --> 00:43:16,014
Delores could well have
been killed by fishermen
767
00:43:16,014 --> 00:43:18,107
and left in the ocean to be fed on
768
00:43:18,107 --> 00:43:21,384
by everything from other
tiger sharks to great whites.
769
00:43:22,881 --> 00:43:26,498
The chances are, her tag went
down the throat of a shark
770
00:43:26,498 --> 00:43:29,836
and returned in its stomach to False Bay.
771
00:43:32,512 --> 00:43:34,888
Mark is now faced with the tragic thought.
772
00:43:34,888 --> 00:43:36,677
That the first shark he befriended
773
00:43:36,677 --> 00:43:38,180
might have fallen victim,
774
00:43:38,180 --> 00:43:40,760
not to another great predator,
775
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:42,737
but to his own kind.
776
00:43:42,853 --> 00:43:44,439
The species that he feels responsible
777
00:43:44,439 --> 00:43:46,943
for allowing her to trust.
778
00:43:47,871 --> 00:43:51,596
(slow music)
779
00:44:05,039 --> 00:44:07,071
- [Mark] Nevertheless,
I was still determined
780
00:44:07,071 --> 00:44:10,586
to build onto what I had
managed to achieve so far.
781
00:44:10,586 --> 00:44:12,150
And I returned to the Aliwal Shoal
782
00:44:12,150 --> 00:44:14,832
to try to pick up from where I left off.
783
00:44:14,832 --> 00:44:17,824
Free diving alongside the tiger sharks.
784
00:44:22,287 --> 00:44:23,770
- [Voiceover] After many
months spent in the water
785
00:44:23,770 --> 00:44:25,479
with the tiger sharks,
786
00:44:25,479 --> 00:44:28,078
Mark Addison's extraordinary free dives
787
00:44:28,078 --> 00:44:30,455
have only just begun to yield
some new and fascinating
788
00:44:30,455 --> 00:44:34,220
insights into the lifestyle
of this elusive species.
789
00:44:35,229 --> 00:44:38,813
(slow music)
790
00:44:48,598 --> 00:44:50,589
As the tagging project continues
791
00:44:50,589 --> 00:44:52,052
Mark gets good responses from
792
00:44:52,052 --> 00:44:54,638
tiger sharks he's never seen before.
793
00:44:54,713 --> 00:44:55,932
But it's not the same
794
00:44:55,932 --> 00:44:58,581
without the presence of his old friend.
795
00:44:58,655 --> 00:45:01,398
Mark's dives, and his
remarkable interactions,
796
00:45:01,398 --> 00:45:03,592
have helped show that this species
797
00:45:03,592 --> 00:45:05,766
is not the indiscriminate man eater
798
00:45:05,766 --> 00:45:08,474
that many divers believe it to be.
799
00:45:09,301 --> 00:45:10,784
His experiences,
800
00:45:10,784 --> 00:45:12,229
swimming with these sharks
801
00:45:12,229 --> 00:45:13,406
and the tagging data that he's helping
802
00:45:13,406 --> 00:45:15,721
marine scientists to gather,
803
00:45:15,721 --> 00:45:17,590
is like putting together a jig saw puzzle
804
00:45:17,590 --> 00:45:19,770
of the sharks life.
805
00:45:21,613 --> 00:45:23,848
It's now possible to
travel with a tiger shark
806
00:45:23,848 --> 00:45:25,331
24 hours a day
807
00:45:25,331 --> 00:45:27,017
seven days a week.
808
00:45:27,017 --> 00:45:28,726
And receive detailed information
809
00:45:28,726 --> 00:45:30,823
about where they are.
810
00:45:34,373 --> 00:45:35,490
Mark has spent his life
811
00:45:35,490 --> 00:45:37,054
in the waters of south Africa.
812
00:45:37,054 --> 00:45:39,655
And he continues to work
with shark scientists
813
00:45:39,655 --> 00:45:41,234
to try and help improve
814
00:45:41,234 --> 00:45:44,151
our understanding of these creatures.
815
00:45:45,323 --> 00:45:47,726
- [Mark] In all of the
privileged work that I do in the
816
00:45:47,726 --> 00:45:49,996
water with these sharks
particularly, it really is an honor.
817
00:45:49,996 --> 00:45:52,576
But, probably the saddest thing
818
00:45:52,576 --> 00:45:54,893
and the most challenging consequence
819
00:45:54,893 --> 00:45:56,376
of the work I do
820
00:45:56,376 --> 00:45:57,737
is the fact that you feel something
821
00:45:57,737 --> 00:45:58,570
for these animals.
822
00:45:58,570 --> 00:45:59,321
They show you things.
823
00:45:59,321 --> 00:46:00,278
They (mumbling) this morning.
824
00:46:00,278 --> 00:46:01,312
They do something stupid the next day,
825
00:46:01,312 --> 00:46:02,819
they look kind of embarrassed.
826
00:46:02,819 --> 00:46:04,035
It's amazing what I've learned
827
00:46:04,035 --> 00:46:05,802
in terms of their body posturing
828
00:46:05,802 --> 00:46:09,066
and just each sharks
individual personality.
829
00:46:09,066 --> 00:46:13,053
(dramatic music)
830
00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:18,055
- [Voiceover] But while the tiger shark
831
00:46:18,055 --> 00:46:20,269
has been surprising the scientists,
832
00:46:20,269 --> 00:46:24,256
it seems there's one last
revelation in store for Mark.
833
00:46:31,930 --> 00:46:34,573
One afternoon, back at Aliwal Shoal,
834
00:46:34,573 --> 00:46:37,463
something nearly takes his breath away.
835
00:46:37,986 --> 00:46:42,034
(slow music)
836
00:46:47,249 --> 00:46:49,673
It's unmistakably Delores.
837
00:46:52,410 --> 00:46:55,213
- [Mark] I couldn't
believe what I was seeing.
838
00:46:55,213 --> 00:46:57,232
Delores was back.
839
00:46:58,464 --> 00:47:00,394
The only explanation I
could think of is that
840
00:47:00,394 --> 00:47:03,179
the (mumbling) of
scavenging the whale carcus
841
00:47:03,179 --> 00:47:05,496
is what tiger sharks are
known to get together,
842
00:47:05,496 --> 00:47:07,241
that somehow her tag had come off,
843
00:47:07,241 --> 00:47:09,355
a white shark had swallowed it,
844
00:47:09,355 --> 00:47:11,488
and that's how it ended
up in the white shark.
845
00:47:11,488 --> 00:47:12,889
Anyway, whatever the explanation
846
00:47:12,889 --> 00:47:14,618
I was just so glad she was back
847
00:47:14,618 --> 00:47:15,972
unharmed.
848
00:47:25,867 --> 00:47:29,937
(dramatic music)
849
00:47:52,915 --> 00:47:54,559
The most amazing thing about the summer
850
00:47:54,559 --> 00:47:57,554
of science and exploration
was surely the tagging.
851
00:47:58,135 --> 00:47:59,802
Being able to follow these animals around,
852
00:47:59,802 --> 00:48:01,609
see where they go, what they do.
853
00:48:01,609 --> 00:48:03,154
And to learn by them
854
00:48:05,254 --> 00:48:09,012
that they certainly don't
choose conflict with man.
855
00:48:09,431 --> 00:48:13,481
(slow music)
856
00:48:17,802 --> 00:48:19,935
- [Voiceover] For some, the
tiger shark will probably
857
00:48:19,935 --> 00:48:23,478
always carry the legendary
status of man eater.
858
00:48:25,687 --> 00:48:27,677
It's undeniably a
predator of extraordinary
859
00:48:27,677 --> 00:48:29,612
skill and ferocity.
860
00:48:32,532 --> 00:48:34,381
But alone, and unprotected,
861
00:48:34,381 --> 00:48:36,290
Mark Addison did something bold
862
00:48:36,290 --> 00:48:37,611
which gave us a new insight
863
00:48:37,611 --> 00:48:40,280
into the animal behind the legend.
864
00:48:46,409 --> 00:48:47,694
The result.
865
00:48:47,932 --> 00:48:51,575
An extraordinary story of human
interaction with the wild.
866
00:48:52,585 --> 00:48:54,352
An emotional connection that animal
867
00:48:54,352 --> 00:48:55,995
that so easily could have been
868
00:48:55,995 --> 00:48:58,283
written off as too dangerous.
869
00:48:58,283 --> 00:49:01,909
(slow music)
870
00:49:11,155 --> 00:49:12,313
Thanks to Mark,
871
00:49:12,313 --> 00:49:14,119
the tiger shark has shown a different
872
00:49:14,119 --> 00:49:17,491
and altogether more
intriguing side to its nature.
873
00:49:17,491 --> 00:49:18,833
One which may help
874
00:49:18,833 --> 00:49:21,094
safeguard its future.
875
00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:26,051
(slow music)
60036
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