When you think of sharks you don’t automatically think about petting them like a dog. Which leads to the question in this article do tiger sharks like to be petted?
Tiger shark Tarantino at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas likes to be petted like a dog by shark conservationist Jim Abernethy. But not all tiger sharks like to be petted, so don’t rush out and start petting them yourself.
The best way to do more diving and to dive with tiger sharks is to book yourself on a scuba diving liveaboard. You can check the latest and best deals on liveaboards using the following window:
Jim Abernethy has removed over 80 hooks from sharks in the past 10 years. These close encounters with sharks has lead him to build a unique bond with certain individuals.
Tiger shark Tarantino responds to affection and you’ll see in the video below how Jim rubs the nose of this 10 foot tiger shark. This tiger shark, known as Tarantino, can be found at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas.
Tiger sharks are known to be friendly and curious creatures, but beware as they are responsible for more recorded attacks on humans than any shark except the great white.
Is it safe to touch a shark?
You have to assume that it’s unsafe to touch a shark when scuba diving. This includes the relatively docile nurse shark. It’s important to be a responsible diver when you enter the water with sharks and act with caution.
Touching a shark could provoke an attack, so you are best to look and not touch. As shown in this video below of a nurse shark biting a diver’s mouth who gets careless and too close to the shark.
If you want to know how to pet a shark like Jim Abernethy I suggest you don’t. This encounter of a friendly tiger shark that enjoys being petted like a dog is rare. If you think you might be able to do the same you may get injured, as sharks are unpredictable and dangerous when provoked.
An example of how this can go wrong is shown in the the video below when a great white shark warns an irresponsible scuba diver who touches the shark.
Great white sharks are more aggressive than tiger sharks, but they are similarly inquisitive and can be extremely bold.
Great White Shark Warns Irresponsible Scuba Diver This footage was taken in August 2015 at Humpback Whale Carcass in Aliwal Shoal MPA. Last year we anchored a humpback carcass near the reef and, naturally, a number of predators came to feed, including a few great whites. It is quite rare for great whites to visit Aliwal Shoal so a few divers had the privilege of diving with these amazing predators. BUT one of the divers got too close to one of the great whites and tried to grab a hold of the large male’s dorsal fin in a stupid attempted to ride the shark. The shark reacts by approaching the diver and letting him know that this is “his house”.
But then you may be interested to watch Ocean Ramsey with a 20 foot great white shark off Hawaii. Ocean Ramsey and a team of divers were studying tiger sharks off of Oahu, Hawaii when they encountered this enormous great white shark.
Watch as the large female great white shark allows Ocean Ramsey to caress her skin and touch her fins.
Hawaii Diver Swims With Record Breaking Largest Great White Shark | TODAY Marine biologist Ocean Ramsey joins TODAY to talk about her and her team of divers’ encounter off the coast of Hawaii with what could be the largest great white shark on the planet. “It fills my heart with joy and takes my breath away,” she says.
Can you pet a great white shark?
I’m not sure this counts as petting a great white shark. It looks like this great white shark is trying to bite the man’s hand as he touches its nose and side of its head. What do you think? Please comment below
Wild Shark Recognizes Human Best Friend After They Were Separated For A Year | The Dodo Soulmates This wild tiger shark, Emma, has been greeting her favorite diver, Jim, for 20 years — and after the pandemic separated them, she was SO excited to see him again 💙🦈
I hope you enjoyed this article about do tiger sharks like to be petted?
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If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkeling or scuba diving (or specifically about do tiger sharks like to be petted?), please comment below with your questions.
There will also be many more articles about scuba diving (and snorkeling) for you to read and learn about these fabulous sports.
Have fun and be safe!
Do Tiger Sharks Like To Be Petted Like a Dog? (Are Tiger Sharks Friendly)
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Article written by Russell Bowyer who has been a scuba diver since diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 1989. After his first dive he trained as a BSAC diver in the UK. He attained his Diver Leader certification with BSAC. He then went on to become a scuba diving instructor, teaching others how to dive and was voted as Diving Officer and Treasurer for the Saffron Walden BSAC club too. Russell has dived all over the world, including the UK, on liveaboards in the Red Sea, the Caribbean, South Africa and the USA. Russell is experienced in all dive types, including drift diving, deep dives that involved decompression stops and recreational dives too.
