Male Great White Shark

Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Great White Sharks are identified by the unique markings on the gill area, pelvic fin and tail area. The sex of a great white shark is identified by the presence of claspers, the male reproductive organ which is found by the pelvic fin.

Underwater Cameraman captures shot

Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Underwater cameraman, David Olson captures the shot has the shark takes the bait and the bouys rip through the water.

Blood sample

Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Blood is drawn from the caudal vein of this male great white shark. The tail vein or caudal vein is one of the largest veins in the great white shark. This sample will reveal a lot of data about this particular great white shark. Most importantly, it will register hormone levels which can be compared with other male great white sharks. Raised levels of hormones may indicate that this great white shark is ready for mating. This information is key in helping scientists understand the mating behaviors of these male great white sharks to which very little is still known.

Great White Shark sensory organs

Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Great white sharks can detect small electrical currents produced by prey using electrosensitive organs called ampullae of Lorenzini found in their skin pores. Every time a living creature moves it generates an electrical field and great whites are so sensitive they can detect half a billionth of a volt. This is equivalent to detecting a flashlight battery from 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) away.

In Great White Sharks, the lateral line is also a sensory organ which can detect movement and vibration as well.

Here, this Great White Shark approaches buoy and bait using its sensory organs to detect if it is a possible food source.

Amy, Unlocking the mysteries

Great White Shark named Amy. Guadalupe Island, Mexico. This 16.3-foot female was tagged and released December 9, 2008. Amy regularly relays information to the OCEARCH team unlocking the mysteries of female Great White Sharks. To calculate her weight, we used the apex predators investigation. With a fork lenght of 195 inches her weight is 3,428 pounds. to learn more visit: http://na.nefsc.noaa.gov/sharks/

In Season 2 of Expedition Great White, the OCEARCH team will follow Amy into waters she has never been recorded to travel before.

David Olson helps steady Keiko on her release

Underwater Cameraman, David Olson helps steady the mighty tail of Keiko, a 15.8 foot 3113 lbs. female Great White Shark on her release. What you don't see in this shot is the other great white sharks swimming closely to the lift he is standing on.

SPOT tag real-time technology

OCEARCH team attaches SPOT tag to the dorsal fin of this Great White Shark. Like many other tags the SPOT tag records temperature, salinity and depth but what makes this tag advanced is that it also sends data of the sharks position, direction and rate of travel regularly to satellites and can last up to 6-years. Most pop-up and acoustic tags can only last a couple years. Each time the shark's fin breaks the surface of the water a ping is recorded by the satellite.

 

Amy is guided onto the Lift

Amy, a 16.3 foot female great white shark is guided onto the lift. Gradually moving the bouys towars her head help to stabilize her as they guide her into place. Once she is in place the lift is raised and the Crew turns into somewhat of a pit crew, taking measurements, blood samples and securing a real-time technology tag. Then the lift is lowered and Amy is released. Sharkmen Season 1-Episode 2 Big Mama

Face to Face

Co-Captain Jody Whitworth comes face to face with this great white shark has it is guided onto the lift platform to be lifted out of the water.

Time is of the Essence

Co-Captain Jody Whitworth and master of the M.V. Ocearch Brett McBride prepare to stabilize great white shark, Amy, before taking measurements, blood and securing a real-time technology tag. Brett is equipped with an instrument that is inserted into the sharks mouth which will irrigate the sharks gills. This process is vital in ensuring a successful release of this massive creature.

Pit Crew at Work

The M.V. Ocearch Crew works very much like a pit crew. Once the shark is raised onto the platform each crewmember efficiently takes charge of a task. These tasks include securing the tail, irrigating the sharks gills with seawater, covering the sharks head with a wet towel to minimize stress, ensuring that the shark is adequately wet by pouring buckets of seawater over the entire length of its body, measuring the sharks length and girth, carefully extracting blood from the caudal vein located near the tail, securing the real-time technology tag as well as pop-up and acoustic tags, recording data and keeping track of time shark is out of water. This all most be done in less than 20 minutes.

David Olson gets the release shot

Underwater Cameraman, David Olson captures the release shot of a healthy great white shark as it swims off the lift. David Olson risks facing other curious great white sharks that may be circling the lift as he hovers over the edge of the lift.