| Diving with a shark in its natural habitat has to be one | | | | behaviour and because of this characteristic, it is |
| of the great privileges that modern scuba equipment | | | | quite possible to see a large cluster of sharks |
| has enabled us to encounter. Seeing the perfect | | | | together. |
| design of these ancient creatures up close and | | | | One behaviour of the ragged tooth shark that makes |
| personal is an unbelievable experience. | | | | it easy for guides to find them is that each year |
| It is such a pity that these beautiful creatures have | | | | they return to the same site to breed. During the |
| been such popular targets for fishermen and spear | | | | mating season where the populations have not been |
| fishermen alike resulting in such a rapid decline in their | | | | decimated, it is not unusual to see up to thirty of |
| numbers. However, they are now protected in many | | | | forty sharks in a single dive. Seeing sharks in this |
| countries around the world. This together with | | | | number is exceptional and awe-inspiring. |
| education might help us save them from extinction. | | | | One of the problems of the growing popularity of |
| Sadly this magnificent creature has been put on the | | | | diving with sharks in general is that a number of |
| IUCN Red List of Threatened species and is classed | | | | inconsiderate divers have no compunction about |
| as Vulnerable or at high risk of extinction in the wild in | | | | swimming into resting place and disturbing them. This |
| the medium-term future. | | | | type of behaviour not only upsets the sharks, but |
| Your first experience of diving with the "raggies" is | | | | also disturbs their mating patterns, threatening their |
| likely to cost you a considerable amount of air. It is | | | | very existence. |
| quite natural to take a few deep breaths when a 3m | | | | Local divers and tour guides will frequently advise |
| bull shark comes to inspect the latest visitor. | | | | divers not to swim across the entrance to the |
| However, despite their fearsome appearance of | | | | shelters as they have seen this type of human |
| clearly visible rows of needle like teeth, raggies are | | | | activity disturb the sharks' mating. |
| practically harmless to humans. | | | | Like any top predator, the ragged tooth shark can |
| Although raggies are most active at night, it is | | | | attack with lightening speed when provoked and |
| possible to see quite a number of them during the | | | | have also been known to steal fish from spear |
| day resting in gutters or caves in the reef where | | | | fishermen, occasionally doing some damage to the |
| they are virtually immobile. They are one of the very | | | | human. Despite this, attacks on humans are rare, so |
| few species of shark able to achieve this, because | | | | treat this amazing fish with the respect that it |
| they can surface and swallow air which is stored | | | | deserves and the chances of any harm are minimal. |
| inside the stomach. This air makes them bouyant | | | | To make sure that you and others continue to enjoy |
| allowing this "stillness" in the water. Scientists and | | | | the wonderful experience of seeing ragged tooth |
| naturalist scuba divers have recently noticed that | | | | sharks in the wild, dive safely and act responsibly. |
| Ragged Tooth Shark display a distinct social | | | | |