Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
Distinctive and deliberate, the tiger shark drifts through warm seas with a sense of quiet curiosity. Its stripes shimmer faintly in filtered light, a reminder of both beauty and mystery — a nomad of the tropics, equally at home in deep water or near the shore.
Scientific Snapshot
Scientific Name: Galeocerdo cuvier
Common Names: Tiger shark, sea tiger
Average Size: Typically 3.5 to 4.5 meters (11–15 feet); can reach over 5 meters (16 feet)
Habitat: Coastal and open ocean waters in tropical and subtropical regions
Diet: Broad omnivore — fish, sea turtles, seabirds, rays, and marine debris
Conservation Status: Near Threatened (IUCN Red List)
Range: Circumtropical; found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and around island chains
From the Field
The story…