This is the pelagic Thresher shark, one of the more intriguing species of hollywood-inspired fear, due to their elongated tail that at times, bears the same length as the shark’s body. For many years scientists have speculated why this odd evolutionary trait exists in this species.
Off the island of Malapascua in the Philippines, there is an abundance of Thresher sharks if you’re able to catch a glimpse off a wall during the early morning dive. This is an area rich in pelagic life, with occasional hammerheads if you swim several meters off the wall into the deep blue.
Just last week, documentary evidence shows that threshers do use this tail — as a sort of fly swatter to stun smaller fish. There have been speculations that this was the function, but never before was there documentary evidence, so what you see in this video is the first ever record.
Well, it seemed obvious from the context of the huge tail, but these “never before seen” and “first time to see it documented” videos really get me.
