Bess - female tiger shark

Friday 27th October, researchers captured a 3.17m female Tiger Shark- nicknamed 'Bess'. The shark is the eighth Tiger to be successfully tagged during the project and the first to be implanted with a 'pinger'. This device is hoped to provide new information on the deil swimming patterns of Tiger sharks.

Recent findings indicate that the annual migration of sea turtles and birds to Raine are mirrored by the movements of one of their top predators; the Tiger shark (Galeocerdo curvier). This voracious hunter is generally a solitary animal, but is found in great numbers around the island during peak turtle nesting times. Very little is known about the basic ecology of Tiger sharks and scientists are concerned that their limited reproductive strategy (only producing a few young per lifetime) makes them extremely vulnerable to overfishing. As key predators, sharks influence the health of the entire marine ecosystems and their removal threatens biodiversity on a major scale. 

For the past 6 years, Undersea Explorer has been part of a joint project led by principal researcher Richard Fitzpatrick from the Australian Natural History Unit, and CSIRO, to study Tigers using remote satellite technology. This process involves capturing a shark and attaching a waterproof pod (containing a satellite transmitter, long life batteries, aerial and a saltwater switch) to the subject’s dorsal fin. The transmitter is then activated and sends GPS co-ordinates to the CSIRO research base each time the shark surfaces (every few days). This system provides valuable information on the home range and migratory route of these furtive animals

This year, we are also trialling intermittent pulse transmitters, called ‘pingers’, to gain a better idea of the daily movements of Tiger sharks. A pinger is a small device which is fixed to the dorsal fin or implanted into the sharks’ body cavity to relay information on time, depth and position.

Release Sequence

Detailed Tracking Maps - Click Here

Researcher Richard Fitzpatrick can be contacted on +61.747715116 for further information about the project.

Introduction Materials and Methods Results Map Index