The term hammerhead actually describes a group of sharks that make up the Sphyrnidae family. The origin of their name is obvious – they have a distinctive head shape that is flattened and extends outwards in a hammer shape. It is thought that this elongated face helps the shark to detect things in its environment and move through the water. It also gives these sharks binocular vision and allows them to be experts at depth perception. Hammerheads are usually found in warmer waters and like to hang out near coastlines. They tend to swim with other sharks during the day but hunt alone at night. They can live for up to 30 years and grow to up to 20 feet. So, even though the shark in this footage looks pretty big, there are bigger hammerheads out there! This particular shark causes a bit of a stir on the boat, which is not surprising. Even though hammerheads are usually harmless to humans, their size and fierce nature mean that they are potentially dangerous. However, this particular shark seems to be much more interested in the fish. These guys are known for being aggressive hunters and will feed on many types of fish, octopuses, squid, and even crustaceans. The predator repeatedly dives under the surface dragging the fish, which looks like a tarpon, with it as the boat edges closer. Tarpon are found widely in both saltwater and freshwater habitats and can grow to up to 6 feet and live for up to 50 years. They are also known as silver king, silverfish, silver sides, or sabalo but to hammerheads, they are known as “lunch”! Towards the end of the footage a second shark turns up and one of the adults on the boat tries to take over the filming, only to get their hand in front of the lens! This is a fishing trip that this 10-year-old will never forget. He’s got a great career as a cameraman ahead of him for sure.
More Hammerhead Action Coming up Right Here:
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