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South Africa's Shark Season
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| Black Tip Shark (Carcharhinus Limbatus) |
Average size: 5 ft / 1.5 m
Maximum size: 9 ft / 2.7 m
Color: grey, white belly & anal fin, subtle white band
along the side; black tips on fins tend to fade with age.
Note: species different from Black Tip Reef Shark.
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| Copper Shark (Carcharhinus Brachyurus) |
Average size: 9 ft / 2.7 m
Maximum size: 11 ft / 3.3 m
Color: grey to bronze above, brighter on the sides.
Note: a.k.a. Bronze Whaler; often confused with the
Dusky Shark.
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| Guitarfish (Rhynchobatus) |
Average size: 7 ft / 2.1 m
Maximum size:
Bowmouth Guitarfish: 7.8 ft / 2.4 m (photo)
Giant Guitarfish: 10 ft / 3 m
Color: olive-green above with rows of small white spots,
white below. Note: we encounter both Bowmouth and
Giant Guitarfish, a.k.a. Giant Guitar Shark.
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| Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna Mokarran) |
Average size: 11.5 ft / 3.5 m
Maximum size: 20 ft / 6 m
Color: grey-brown, pale below
Note: known to use its head to pin a fleeing ray to the
bottom; can sometimes be seen on Protea Banks where
they come single or in small hunting packs.
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| Sandtiger Shark (Carcharias Taurus) |
Average size: 8.3 ft / 2.5 m
Maximum size: 10.5 ft / 3.2 m
Color: light brown, bronze-coloured back, white belly.
Note: a.k.a. Ragged-Tooth Shark or Raggie; known to
surface and swallow air to regulate its buoyancy; often
found in large groups.
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| Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna Lewini) |
Average size: 9 ft / 2.7 m
Maximum size: 13.8 ft / 4.2 m
Color: olive bronze, light brown, white belly
Note: tends to form large schools at certain times; can
make use of the earth's magnetic field during migration.
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| Thresher Shark (Alopias) |
Average size: 10 ft / 3 m
Maximum size: 11 ft / 3.3 m
Color: grey above with silvery lustre.
Note: uses its upper caudal lobe, which is nearly as long
as rest of shark, to stun its prey before feeding.
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| Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo Cuvier) |
Average size: 10 ft / 3 m
Maximum size: 18 ft / 5.5 m
Color: dark grey, white belly
Note: spots fade into stripes as they mature; Galeocerdo
means cunning.
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| Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) |
Average size: 33 ft / 10 m
Maximum size: 45 ft / 13.6 m
(unconfirmed reports claim 59 ft / 17.8 m)
Color: grey with random white dots above, cream below.
Note: the world's biggest fish can sometimes be seen on
Protea Banks in South Africa's warm summer months;
may live up to 100 to 150 years.
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| White Shark (Carcharodon Carcharias) |
Average size: 15 ft / 4.5 m
Maximum size: 20 ft / 6 m
Color: grey or blue grey above, white below
Note: no specific season, rarely seen; may use 20 to
30,000 teeth in a lifetime.
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| Zambezi or Bull Shark (Carcharhinus Leucas) |
Average size male: 7 ft / 2.1 m
Average size female: 11 ft / 3.3 m
Color: dark grey, white belly
Note: females need fresh water rivers to give birth to
their offspring.
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Sources:
http://www.sharkinfo.ch / Dr. Erich K. Ritter
http://www.sharks.com
Other species
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| Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) |
Average size: 9 ft / 2.7 m
Maximum size: 12 ft / 3.7 m
Color: varies but generally grey with lighter sides.
Note: called Bottlenose because of its short beak; we
predominantly encounter this species and during the
Sardine Run several hundreds of Common Dolphins
(Delphinus Delphis).
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| Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae) |
Size males: 40-48 ft / 12.2-14.6 m
Maximum size: 45-50 ft / 13.7-15.2 m
Color: black above, mottled black and white below
Note: encountered on virtually every trip to Protea Banks
and back; we always make an effort to carefully follow
them; Humpback Whales sing long and complex songs.
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| Manta Ray (Manta Birostris) |
Average size: 12 ft / 3.6 m (wing-span)
Maximum size: 25 ft / 7.6 m (wing-span)
Color: commonly black above, white below
Note: a.k.a. Devilfish; can sometimes be seen on Protea
Banks in South Africa's warm summer months.
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Source:
http://www.acsonline.org / American Cetacean Society Fact Sheet
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