1 00:00:01,001 --> 00:00:07,741 ♪ ♪ 2 00:00:09,809 --> 00:00:12,012 MATT (off-screen): This is the graveyard of the Atlantic. 3 00:00:13,413 --> 00:00:16,216 So there's a lot of wrecks nearby. 4 00:00:17,117 --> 00:00:19,652 And one of the wrecks is the Papoose. 5 00:00:25,191 --> 00:00:27,093 I would have never believed what happened if I didn't see 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:28,728 it with my own eyes. 7 00:00:41,841 --> 00:00:43,877 We were expecting some grouper to be on the wreck that 8 00:00:43,943 --> 00:00:45,745 we could shoot spearfishing. 9 00:00:49,215 --> 00:00:50,216 Ready to go get some grouper? 10 00:00:50,316 --> 00:00:52,052 MAN: I’m ready. MATT: Let’s do it. 11 00:01:03,329 --> 00:01:07,767 ♪ ♪ 12 00:01:15,108 --> 00:01:17,544 Nothing abnormal, just another wreck with hopefully 13 00:01:17,610 --> 00:01:19,312 something to eat. 14 00:01:23,817 --> 00:01:25,952 There was quite a few grouper hanging out. 15 00:01:27,087 --> 00:01:28,655 (thuds). 16 00:01:29,322 --> 00:01:31,057 MATT (off-screen): I was lucky enough to spear one. 17 00:01:40,500 --> 00:01:43,536 But I didn't know the big sand tiger was there at that point. 18 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:48,775 Sand tigers look really menacing underwater but 19 00:01:48,842 --> 00:01:50,977 they're generally, they're really docile sharks. 20 00:01:52,212 --> 00:01:53,313 MATT: Shark! 21 00:01:53,813 --> 00:01:56,216 MATT (off-screen): But the size of the shark was pretty impressive. 22 00:01:56,616 --> 00:01:58,218 {\an8}I wouldn't say I was scared, 23 00:01:58,284 --> 00:01:59,886 {\an8}but it definitely had my full attention. 24 00:02:02,489 --> 00:02:04,657 I figured that it's kind of just like another big guy at a bar. 25 00:02:04,724 --> 00:02:07,093 Like, how are we going to work this out? 26 00:02:10,196 --> 00:02:12,132 We're both here to have a good time. 27 00:02:18,037 --> 00:02:19,139 So you give them their space, 28 00:02:19,539 --> 00:02:20,573 they kind of give you your space. 29 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:22,342 And that's normally what happens. 30 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,816 But instead, I shot another grouper. 31 00:02:29,883 --> 00:02:31,718 (thuds). 32 00:02:36,689 --> 00:02:39,792 MATT (off-screen): Which then caused this whole chain reaction of events. 33 00:02:45,298 --> 00:02:46,566 (bleep). 34 00:02:49,135 --> 00:02:51,838 The next thing you know, there was three or four sand tigers, 35 00:02:51,905 --> 00:02:53,940 that came out of nowhere. 36 00:02:58,378 --> 00:03:00,313 It's like a switch went off. 37 00:03:03,183 --> 00:03:05,852 The danger level was increasing. 38 00:03:10,523 --> 00:03:13,326 You could feel that we were really no longer wanted 39 00:03:13,393 --> 00:03:15,061 on that wreck. 40 00:03:17,697 --> 00:03:18,998 I wouldn't say I was scared, 41 00:03:19,065 --> 00:03:21,100 but we wanted to get out of that situation. 42 00:03:38,518 --> 00:03:44,991 ♪ ♪ 43 00:03:54,701 --> 00:03:57,704 I feel very lucky that I had a buddy with me and 44 00:03:57,770 --> 00:04:00,473 I'm very happy both of us got out of the water unharmed. 45 00:04:03,576 --> 00:04:06,312 NARRATOR: The Matt Wirt attack isn’t the first time divers have 46 00:04:06,379 --> 00:04:08,748 sparred with sharks on a shipwreck. 47 00:04:13,019 --> 00:04:15,388 Terrifying encounters are happening near these 48 00:04:15,455 --> 00:04:18,258 man-made structures across the globe. 49 00:04:19,792 --> 00:04:22,662 Now, investigators wonder, 50 00:04:22,729 --> 00:04:25,965 what draws these fearsome predators to shipwrecks, 51 00:04:26,866 --> 00:04:29,202 and entices them to attack? 52 00:04:29,769 --> 00:04:33,106 (theme music playing). 53 00:04:35,508 --> 00:04:38,211 NARRATOR: Shark scientist Ryan Johnson notices 54 00:04:38,278 --> 00:04:39,846 the alarming trend. 55 00:04:41,748 --> 00:04:44,317 {\an8}RYAN: Diving on wrecks has become more common recently, 56 00:04:44,384 --> 00:04:46,352 {\an8}particularly for scuba divers. 57 00:04:46,419 --> 00:04:49,756 {\an8}So, at those locations, encounters between sharks 58 00:04:50,356 --> 00:04:53,059 and divers have become more abundant. 59 00:04:54,827 --> 00:04:58,097 NARRATOR: After reviewing the footage of Matt Wirt’s near-miss, 60 00:04:58,831 --> 00:05:01,734 Ryan explores a theory that may explain why 61 00:05:01,801 --> 00:05:04,671 the sand tiger charges Matt and his friend. 62 00:05:17,517 --> 00:05:20,520 It’s possible that the sand tiger is deliberately using 63 00:05:20,586 --> 00:05:23,389 the shipwreck as part of its hunting strategy. 64 00:05:29,562 --> 00:05:33,833 RYAN: A lot of sharks will use different structures as camouflage. 65 00:05:33,900 --> 00:05:36,903 And then when an unsuspecting prey comes passed, 66 00:05:36,969 --> 00:05:39,739 they do this really high-speed ambush attack. 67 00:05:40,707 --> 00:05:43,476 So, the entire strategy plays a massive role in 68 00:05:43,876 --> 00:05:45,678 this success as apex predators. 69 00:05:46,946 --> 00:05:50,416 NARRATOR: The theory has profound implications. 70 00:05:50,483 --> 00:05:53,519 If sharks use shipwrecks for ambush hunting, 71 00:05:54,187 --> 00:05:56,989 these underwater structures could present a massive threat 72 00:05:57,090 --> 00:05:59,292 to anyone swimming nearby. 73 00:06:00,993 --> 00:06:02,962 RYAN (off-screen): There are thousands of these artificial wrecks 74 00:06:03,029 --> 00:06:05,431 all over America, all over South Africa, 75 00:06:05,498 --> 00:06:08,167 so it would be really important for us to observe and 76 00:06:08,234 --> 00:06:11,037 understand how these sharks are using these wrecks 77 00:06:11,104 --> 00:06:12,939 as hunting grounds. 78 00:06:13,473 --> 00:06:15,408 NARRATOR: Off the North Carolina coast, 79 00:06:15,808 --> 00:06:17,744 researchers are doing just that. 80 00:06:24,083 --> 00:06:27,553 Doctor Avery Paxton and her team of NOAA researchers study 81 00:06:27,620 --> 00:06:29,922 the wrecks off North Carolina. 82 00:06:31,057 --> 00:06:32,525 {\an8}AVERY: The coast of North Carolina is 83 00:06:32,592 --> 00:06:35,294 {\an8}the final resting place for hundreds of shipwrecks. 84 00:06:38,398 --> 00:06:40,833 And so in order for us to understand how these 85 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:44,036 human made structures function ecologically, 86 00:06:44,103 --> 00:06:48,040 one of the things that we look at is how fish use these sites. 87 00:06:48,107 --> 00:06:50,243 Including the large predators like sharks. 88 00:06:54,414 --> 00:06:56,382 NARRATOR: To get eyes on the wrecks, 89 00:06:56,449 --> 00:06:59,519 Avery and her team utilize multiple methods. 90 00:07:01,421 --> 00:07:06,225 They dive, often a dangerous journey more than 100 feet down. 91 00:07:11,597 --> 00:07:14,033 And they deploy underwater drones, 92 00:07:14,333 --> 00:07:16,436 a low impact tool that can peek into 93 00:07:16,836 --> 00:07:19,172 the wreck’s many hard-to-reach places. 94 00:07:21,073 --> 00:07:22,542 AVERY (off-screen): Our research is pretty mysterious, 95 00:07:22,608 --> 00:07:26,279 we never know what we're going to find when we get eyes underwater. 96 00:07:27,146 --> 00:07:29,849 Sometimes you descend down to the wreck and 97 00:07:29,916 --> 00:07:31,784 there are no sharks anywhere in sight. 98 00:07:32,652 --> 00:07:37,056 Other times, our team has spotted over 200 sharks on 99 00:07:37,123 --> 00:07:39,826 some of these small islands of habitat. 100 00:07:44,330 --> 00:07:46,599 NARRATOR: Avery and her team spend hundreds of hours 101 00:07:46,666 --> 00:07:49,101 observing these swarms of sharks. 102 00:07:56,642 --> 00:07:58,778 What they witness might help validate 103 00:07:59,178 --> 00:08:00,847 the hide and seek theory. 104 00:08:04,417 --> 00:08:08,488 AVERY (off-screen): Sometimes you'll see a huge ball of bait fish 105 00:08:08,554 --> 00:08:11,357 moving in a unified, mass almost. 106 00:08:11,424 --> 00:08:14,160 And sometimes we see sand tiger sharks cloaked in 107 00:08:14,227 --> 00:08:17,463 these large schools of bait fish. 108 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:25,137 And so occasionally you'll see the sharks kind of unexpectedly part, 109 00:08:25,204 --> 00:08:27,540 the bait ball, and emerge from this almost 110 00:08:27,607 --> 00:08:30,610 invisibility cloak that the bait fish are forming. 111 00:08:34,413 --> 00:08:36,616 NARRATOR: It’s a compelling observation. 112 00:08:36,682 --> 00:08:40,887 If sharks are using bait fish as camouflage to attack, 113 00:08:40,953 --> 00:08:43,656 they may be capable of using shipwrecks to camouflage 114 00:08:43,723 --> 00:08:45,591 in the same way. 115 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,630 Ryan says it’s neither. 116 00:08:57,003 --> 00:08:59,605 RYAN (off-screen): There is really no evidence that sharks actively 117 00:08:59,672 --> 00:09:04,310 use these schools of fish or these shipwrecks to camouflage themselves. 118 00:09:04,377 --> 00:09:08,214 It's simply a situation where both these species love and 119 00:09:08,281 --> 00:09:10,783 want to hang out in the same environment. 120 00:09:12,285 --> 00:09:14,787 NARRATOR: Ryan re-examines the Matt Wirt attack and 121 00:09:14,854 --> 00:09:17,957 notices that the shark doesn’t go for Matt, 122 00:09:18,024 --> 00:09:20,293 it goes for his fish. 123 00:09:25,031 --> 00:09:27,700 RYAN (off-screen): In my opinion, what we see in this example is 124 00:09:27,767 --> 00:09:29,769 not ambush hunting. 125 00:09:29,835 --> 00:09:32,972 It was about detecting a struggling fish. 126 00:09:36,042 --> 00:09:38,978 I don't think there was any deliberate attempt by the shark 127 00:09:39,045 --> 00:09:42,281 to use the shipwreck as part of his hunting strategy. 128 00:09:42,348 --> 00:09:44,617 It was more a fact that these sand tigers, 129 00:09:44,684 --> 00:09:47,553 they love these shipwrecks to relax on and this was also 130 00:09:47,620 --> 00:09:50,723 where the spear fishermen were hunting their fish. 131 00:09:50,790 --> 00:09:54,393 NARRATOR: It appears that the camouflage hide and seek theory 132 00:09:54,460 --> 00:09:55,995 is a bust. 133 00:10:00,232 --> 00:10:02,068 Investigators still cannot explain 134 00:10:02,134 --> 00:10:04,437 the frightening encounters on wrecks. 135 00:10:07,073 --> 00:10:10,242 But researchers soon find that sharks may be using shipwrecks 136 00:10:10,309 --> 00:10:15,548 in another way, that puts divers and swimmers nearby at risk. 137 00:10:16,349 --> 00:10:18,951 A terrifying case in southern Florida 138 00:10:19,018 --> 00:10:21,153 provides a new clue. 139 00:10:22,154 --> 00:10:22,989 JESSICA: Ah! 140 00:10:26,025 --> 00:10:29,795 ♪ ♪ 141 00:10:29,862 --> 00:10:33,933 NARRATOR: South Florida is world-renowned for its beaches. 142 00:10:35,635 --> 00:10:38,537 Most beachgoers have no idea of the area’s 143 00:10:38,604 --> 00:10:41,707 underwater attractions just offshore. 144 00:10:42,575 --> 00:10:44,377 And their dangers. 145 00:11:01,060 --> 00:11:02,395 JESSICA (off-screen): Growing up in Florida 146 00:11:02,461 --> 00:11:03,929 we would always be out on the water. 147 00:11:03,996 --> 00:11:08,134 {\an8}Going boating, fishing, going to the sandbar. 148 00:11:09,535 --> 00:11:12,705 NARRATOR: It's the weekend and 22-year-old Jessica Hogge and 149 00:11:12,772 --> 00:11:15,307 her friends, are making the most of it on the Intracoastal, 150 00:11:15,775 --> 00:11:17,710 just nine miles from Pompano Beach. 151 00:11:17,777 --> 00:11:19,278 MAN: Hit it! Woo! 152 00:11:19,345 --> 00:11:21,681 NARRATOR: The wreck capital of Florida. 153 00:11:29,889 --> 00:11:33,726 JESSICA: This was actually the first time I had been tubing in years. 154 00:11:35,261 --> 00:11:37,496 The water looks kind of murky. 155 00:11:37,563 --> 00:11:41,233 I was not very comfortable going into the water. 156 00:11:42,368 --> 00:11:45,304 And I just had that feeling that something wasn't right. 157 00:11:46,605 --> 00:11:47,807 I couldn't explain to anybody and they're like, 158 00:11:47,873 --> 00:11:49,575 "Uh, there's nothing wrong. We were just in here. 159 00:11:49,642 --> 00:11:51,444 You're gonna be fine." 160 00:11:51,510 --> 00:11:52,645 MAN: Don’t worry about it honey. 161 00:11:52,712 --> 00:11:53,679 It’ll be fine. 162 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:55,514 Go tubing, enjoy it. 163 00:12:05,157 --> 00:12:06,659 JESSICA: Clearly I was not. 164 00:12:20,906 --> 00:12:22,475 It felt like a punch. 165 00:12:22,575 --> 00:12:24,243 Like something just ran into me. 166 00:12:25,678 --> 00:12:26,679 Ah! 167 00:12:26,746 --> 00:12:28,147 MAN 2: Hey guys, there’s something wrong. 168 00:12:28,214 --> 00:12:30,149 WOMAN: Are you okay? 169 00:12:30,216 --> 00:12:31,484 MAN: What’s wrong? 170 00:12:33,486 --> 00:12:35,321 CAPTAIN: Get her in! 171 00:12:36,522 --> 00:12:38,457 MAN 2: Grab the ring! 172 00:12:38,657 --> 00:12:40,126 JESSICA (off-screen): I was in complete shock. 173 00:12:40,192 --> 00:12:42,695 Couldn't fathom that a shark had just bit me. 174 00:12:46,632 --> 00:12:49,835 I was just in a state of mind that I, I just not, 175 00:12:49,902 --> 00:12:51,337 this was not real. 176 00:12:54,673 --> 00:12:57,843 NARRATOR: Jessica suffers severe blood loss. 177 00:12:58,444 --> 00:13:01,180 The muscle in her right leg is shredded, 178 00:13:01,247 --> 00:13:03,349 exposing the bone. 179 00:13:04,650 --> 00:13:07,620 It takes three months for a full recovery. 180 00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:10,055 JESSICA (off-screen): I always knew they were sharks in the water, 181 00:13:10,122 --> 00:13:12,625 but I never expected them to attack me. 182 00:13:15,795 --> 00:13:18,297 NARRATOR: Jessica was bitten less than five miles away 183 00:13:18,364 --> 00:13:20,132 from a shipwreck. 184 00:13:22,735 --> 00:13:24,870 Leading investigators to wonder whether there 185 00:13:24,937 --> 00:13:27,106 may be a connection. 186 00:13:30,376 --> 00:13:32,611 Marine biologist Doctor James Sulikowski 187 00:13:32,678 --> 00:13:34,280 takes a closer look. 188 00:13:36,549 --> 00:13:38,350 {\an8}JAMES: One of the things about Florida is that, 189 00:13:38,417 --> 00:13:39,618 {\an8}it's got great natural habitat, 190 00:13:39,685 --> 00:13:41,353 {\an8}it really does. 191 00:13:41,420 --> 00:13:43,589 But when you start adding manmade habitats, 192 00:13:43,656 --> 00:13:47,193 like the shipwrecks, it adds another layer for these sharks 193 00:13:47,259 --> 00:13:48,861 to find refuge. 194 00:13:57,503 --> 00:14:01,907 NARRATOR: There are over 5,000 shipwrecks in Florida alone. 195 00:14:01,974 --> 00:14:04,543 And millions more worldwide. 196 00:14:05,010 --> 00:14:08,848 Each one a mosaic of sea life. 197 00:14:08,914 --> 00:14:12,251 Snapper and grouper. 198 00:14:13,152 --> 00:14:17,356 Turtles and stingrays. 199 00:14:18,390 --> 00:14:21,227 And a whole host of sharks! 200 00:14:22,494 --> 00:14:25,364 JAMES: Wrecks have offered some incredible habitat for 201 00:14:25,431 --> 00:14:27,099 certain species of sharks. 202 00:14:27,166 --> 00:14:29,501 It aggregates their food. 203 00:14:29,568 --> 00:14:31,637 It keeps them safe from predators. 204 00:14:31,704 --> 00:14:33,539 And it's been widely documented that these 205 00:14:33,606 --> 00:14:35,908 are important areas to sharks. 206 00:14:37,743 --> 00:14:41,113 NARRATOR: James says shipwrecks are so valuable to sharks, 207 00:14:41,180 --> 00:14:46,785 that hungry females may use them when they’re pregnant. 208 00:14:58,130 --> 00:15:01,233 JAMES (off-screen): One of the things a wreck might give a pregnant shark is 209 00:15:01,300 --> 00:15:02,601 ample food source. 210 00:15:02,668 --> 00:15:04,536 They don't have to search for it. 211 00:15:04,603 --> 00:15:08,107 So that way they can put more energy into growing their babies. 212 00:15:09,642 --> 00:15:13,012 Also, it's quite possible it could protect them from predators. 213 00:15:13,078 --> 00:15:14,914 So, they're not looking over their backs all the time, 214 00:15:14,980 --> 00:15:16,348 spending energy doing that. 215 00:15:16,749 --> 00:15:20,586 So those areas can help increase the chance of survival 216 00:15:20,653 --> 00:15:22,721 of her babies. 217 00:15:24,023 --> 00:15:26,892 NARRATOR: When near full term, pregnant sharks typically stay 218 00:15:26,959 --> 00:15:28,994 close to their pupping grounds. 219 00:15:29,762 --> 00:15:31,931 If the love nest theory is correct, 220 00:15:31,997 --> 00:15:35,567 and pregnant sharks use shipwrecks as a maternity ward, 221 00:15:35,968 --> 00:15:39,038 perhaps the bull shark that bit Jessica was drawn to the wreck 222 00:15:39,104 --> 00:15:42,308 because she was pregnant. 223 00:15:44,109 --> 00:15:46,445 JAMES: Now what would be really cool is if we can find 224 00:15:46,512 --> 00:15:50,749 that pregnant females are sort of aggregating in these areas 225 00:15:51,317 --> 00:15:53,552 to help protect their growing young. 226 00:16:11,136 --> 00:16:13,706 NARRATOR: To test this theory, James and 227 00:16:13,772 --> 00:16:16,175 fellow shark researcher Brooke Anderson link up 228 00:16:16,275 --> 00:16:19,178 with veteran shark diver Jamin Martinelli. 229 00:16:21,180 --> 00:16:23,515 Jamin takes them three miles offshore to 230 00:16:23,582 --> 00:16:25,651 the Esso Bonaire III. 231 00:16:27,152 --> 00:16:29,855 A former oil tanker and popular dive spot, 232 00:16:30,089 --> 00:16:32,091 known for its sharks. 233 00:16:32,558 --> 00:16:36,628 Finding pregnant sharks here may help explain why sharks swim to 234 00:16:36,695 --> 00:16:41,166 wrecks and perhaps, why they attack. 235 00:16:43,135 --> 00:16:45,204 JAMIN (off-screen): We picked this spot because it’s a wreck, 236 00:16:45,270 --> 00:16:46,939 {\an8}and there’s many species here. 237 00:16:47,006 --> 00:16:49,608 {\an8}Bull sharks, lemon, reef sharks, silkies, 238 00:16:49,675 --> 00:16:52,344 {\an8}duskies maybe hammerhead. 239 00:16:52,411 --> 00:16:54,480 JAMES: And there could be congregations of these 240 00:16:54,546 --> 00:16:57,049 female sharks here, and they could be pregnant. 241 00:16:58,350 --> 00:17:01,587 NARRATOR: To find out whether the sharks on the shipwreck are pregnant, 242 00:17:01,653 --> 00:17:04,723 Brooke has brought a brand-new piece of tech. 243 00:17:06,225 --> 00:17:08,927 A custom-built underwater ultrasound. 244 00:17:10,896 --> 00:17:13,032 {\an8}BROOKE: So you guys are going to be able to take this ultrasound 245 00:17:13,098 --> 00:17:16,969 {\an8}down to the wreck with you and find out if these sharks 246 00:17:17,036 --> 00:17:19,838 that are using the wreck are pregnant in real time. 247 00:17:19,905 --> 00:17:21,240 JAMIN: At 80 feet? 248 00:17:21,306 --> 00:17:22,975 BROOKE: Yeah, let’s get you guys in the water. 249 00:17:23,042 --> 00:17:24,410 JAMES: Let’s do it! 250 00:17:25,911 --> 00:17:29,915 NARRATOR: Today, Brooke spots for sharks at the surface, 251 00:17:29,982 --> 00:17:32,484 while James runs the ultrasound 252 00:17:33,485 --> 00:17:35,087 and Jamin watches his back. 253 00:17:35,687 --> 00:17:36,922 JAMES (off-screen): There's always unknowns, 254 00:17:36,989 --> 00:17:38,824 but to do an underwater ultrasound, 255 00:17:38,891 --> 00:17:41,160 to see if they're pregnant we're going to have to 256 00:17:41,226 --> 00:17:43,062 get down there and get really close. 257 00:17:44,229 --> 00:17:45,497 {\an8}JAMES: Let’s do this! 258 00:17:45,731 --> 00:17:46,899 {\an8}JAMIN: Here we go! 259 00:18:00,312 --> 00:18:02,081 {\an8}JAMES: Do you see any sharks yet? 260 00:18:03,315 --> 00:18:04,216 {\an8}JAMIN: Nothing. 261 00:18:05,617 --> 00:18:07,352 {\an8}They’re usually here. 262 00:18:08,454 --> 00:18:10,656 {\an8}This is strange. 263 00:18:12,057 --> 00:18:13,192 NARRATOR: Suddenly... 264 00:18:13,592 --> 00:18:15,094 {\an8}JAMIN: Woah! Look out! 265 00:18:17,029 --> 00:18:20,766 {\an8}JAMES: Oh man. That shark came out of nowhere. 266 00:18:20,833 --> 00:18:22,568 {\an8}Look at the size of it! 267 00:18:23,335 --> 00:18:25,304 {\an8}JAMIN: And it’s a female! 268 00:18:27,272 --> 00:18:29,708 {\an8}JAMES (off-screen): Almost immediately, a big female lemon shark. 269 00:18:30,976 --> 00:18:34,012 {\an8}JAMIN: Not everyday you see a lemon that big. 270 00:18:34,746 --> 00:18:36,648 {\an8}JAMES: I wonder if she’s pregnant. 271 00:18:37,783 --> 00:18:40,986 JAMES (off-screen): And the amazing thing is she actually got pretty close. 272 00:18:41,587 --> 00:18:43,455 {\an8}JAMES: Oh man, she’s circling me. 273 00:18:49,795 --> 00:18:52,731 JAMES (off-screen): These sharks are quick, you have to be fast reacting. 274 00:18:53,632 --> 00:18:55,934 {\an8}JAMIN: Okay, this is getting a bit sketchy. 275 00:18:56,001 --> 00:18:58,437 NARRATOR: But James sees an opportunity. 276 00:18:59,037 --> 00:19:02,207 {\an8}JAMES: I just need a couple of seconds of good contact 277 00:19:02,274 --> 00:19:03,742 {\an8}to see if she’s pregnant. 278 00:19:04,243 --> 00:19:05,210 {\an8}JAMIN: Okay. 279 00:19:06,912 --> 00:19:10,716 JAMES (off-screen): It’s scary to know that one turn and we could be gone. 280 00:19:14,453 --> 00:19:15,387 {\an8}JAMES: Woah! 281 00:19:21,326 --> 00:19:23,395 {\an8}JAMIN: Woah, that was a close one! 282 00:19:24,263 --> 00:19:25,330 {\an8}JAMES: Yeah, no kidding. 283 00:19:25,964 --> 00:19:28,734 NARRATOR: At a wreck 80 feet underwater, 284 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,804 ultra-sounding an aggressive lemon shark is no small task. 285 00:19:33,839 --> 00:19:35,140 {\an8}JAMES: Dang it! 286 00:19:35,207 --> 00:19:36,508 {\an8}I missed it! 287 00:19:39,111 --> 00:19:41,647 NARRATOR: But Doctor James Sulikowski, 288 00:19:43,015 --> 00:19:44,149 pulls it off. 289 00:19:48,086 --> 00:19:50,556 {\an8}JAMES: Man, that was harder than expected. 290 00:19:52,491 --> 00:19:53,692 NARRATOR: The only question... 291 00:19:54,259 --> 00:19:55,294 {\an8}JAMIN: What do you think? 292 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:56,428 {\an8}Is she pregnant? 293 00:20:00,499 --> 00:20:01,633 {\an8}JAMES: It’s possible 294 00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:03,702 {\an8}but there’s no way to tell down here. 295 00:20:04,403 --> 00:20:05,971 {\an8}Let’s get back topside. 296 00:20:06,038 --> 00:20:06,972 {\an8}JAMIN: Copy. 297 00:20:15,047 --> 00:20:16,815 NARRATOR: Later that evening, 298 00:20:16,882 --> 00:20:19,685 James reviews the day’s ultrasound footage. 299 00:20:21,353 --> 00:20:25,424 He isn’t 100% sure what he’s seeing indicates a pregnancy. 300 00:20:27,292 --> 00:20:29,895 JAMES: Hey, so Brooke, running through the video right now, 301 00:20:29,962 --> 00:20:30,829 and I think I got something. 302 00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:31,897 I want you to take a look at it, 303 00:20:31,964 --> 00:20:33,432 I want you to let me know if you think she’s pregnant or not. 304 00:20:33,498 --> 00:20:36,001 BROOKE: All right, let’s take a look at this ultrasound. 305 00:20:38,337 --> 00:20:42,741 NARRATOR: Lemon sharks are known to birth up to 17 pups. 306 00:20:42,808 --> 00:20:44,476 If this shark is pregnant, 307 00:20:44,543 --> 00:20:47,512 {\an8}the team should be able to spot a few embryos. 308 00:20:48,814 --> 00:20:50,949 {\an8}JAMES: It's going to come into focus. 309 00:20:51,016 --> 00:20:51,984 {\an8}BROOKE: This is really cool. 310 00:20:52,050 --> 00:20:53,785 {\an8}JAMES: Amazing. 311 00:20:57,689 --> 00:20:58,690 {\an8}Right here. 312 00:20:58,757 --> 00:20:59,992 {\an8}BROOKE: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. JAMES: What do you think? Fast! 313 00:21:00,058 --> 00:21:01,126 {\an8}BROOKE: I think she’s pregnant, for sure. 314 00:21:01,593 --> 00:21:03,161 JAMES: Yeah super-fast. It's super cool isn’t it? 315 00:21:03,228 --> 00:21:04,896 BROOKE: That’s incredible. JAMES: Yeah. 316 00:21:06,798 --> 00:21:08,834 {\an8}NARRATOR: They think they spot at least three pups 317 00:21:08,900 --> 00:21:10,602 {\an8}in the ultrasound. 318 00:21:12,437 --> 00:21:13,438 BROOKE: Oh, yeah. JAMES: See that? 319 00:21:13,505 --> 00:21:15,173 BROOKE: Absolutely. JAMES: Yeah. 320 00:21:16,441 --> 00:21:17,409 BROOK: That's amazing. 321 00:21:17,476 --> 00:21:18,477 What does this mean? 322 00:21:18,543 --> 00:21:21,580 JAMES: You know, now it kind of brings in the importance of maybe that, 323 00:21:21,647 --> 00:21:25,651 that wreck and what could she be doing there? 324 00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:35,661 NARRATOR: It appears Sulikowski’s theory that 325 00:21:35,727 --> 00:21:40,098 shipwrecks may attract pregnant sharks could be true. 326 00:21:42,034 --> 00:21:45,137 But the experiment creates more questions than answers. 327 00:21:45,737 --> 00:21:49,441 JAMES: As fate would have it, the shark was pregnant. 328 00:21:50,175 --> 00:21:53,578 {\an8}So what that does for us right now is open up all these avenues 329 00:21:53,645 --> 00:21:56,348 {\an8}for new research, not only here in Florida, 330 00:21:56,415 --> 00:21:58,717 on wrecks, but all over the place to see how these 331 00:21:58,784 --> 00:22:02,621 pregnant sharks might be using this habitat. 332 00:22:04,423 --> 00:22:06,425 But there could be other factors why they are here. 333 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,630 NARRATOR: Those other factors may have to do with another 334 00:22:11,697 --> 00:22:14,299 kind of man-made marine habitat. 335 00:22:15,701 --> 00:22:17,969 That investigators fear may bring sharks 336 00:22:18,036 --> 00:22:20,339 dangerously close to people. 337 00:22:23,742 --> 00:22:26,845 A case just down the coast from James’s test, 338 00:22:26,912 --> 00:22:28,680 could offer proof. 339 00:22:31,550 --> 00:22:32,584 ALVARO: So how deep are we diving? 340 00:22:32,651 --> 00:22:34,052 ERIK: We’re going about 60 feet today. 341 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:35,053 You good with that? 342 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:36,621 ALVARO: Hell yeah that’s great. 343 00:22:44,062 --> 00:22:47,132 NARRATOR: 50-year-old dentist Alvaro Ordonez and his friends 344 00:22:47,199 --> 00:22:50,168 love nothing more than spearfishing. 345 00:22:50,235 --> 00:22:52,270 WOMAN: Ready? ALVARO: Yep. 346 00:23:04,750 --> 00:23:10,822 ♪ ♪ 347 00:23:11,390 --> 00:23:14,059 NARRATOR: Alvaro sets off on his own. 348 00:23:23,435 --> 00:23:25,570 And quickly spears a fish. 349 00:23:31,710 --> 00:23:33,678 But he has company. 350 00:23:43,321 --> 00:23:48,860 ♪ ♪ 351 00:23:50,295 --> 00:23:51,530 WOMAN: Shark! MAN: We’ve got a shark! 352 00:23:51,596 --> 00:23:53,165 (overlapping chatter) 353 00:24:04,543 --> 00:24:06,044 NARRATOR: In an instant, 354 00:24:06,111 --> 00:24:08,914 the water explodes with a cloud of blood. 355 00:24:12,751 --> 00:24:14,486 Alvaro’s blood. 356 00:24:22,394 --> 00:24:24,830 REPORTER (over TV): A day of spearfishing nearly turned tragic. 357 00:24:24,896 --> 00:24:26,665 REPORTER 2 (over TV): Alvaro Ordonez survived 358 00:24:26,731 --> 00:24:28,033 a shark attack all thanks to his friend 359 00:24:28,099 --> 00:24:31,269 Erik who pulled him out of the water after hearing the commotion. 360 00:24:32,938 --> 00:24:34,072 NARRATOR: At the hospital, 361 00:24:34,139 --> 00:24:38,076 doctors confirm Alvaro was bitten by a bull shark. 362 00:24:38,543 --> 00:24:40,378 ALVARO: He came at me, grabbed it by the snout, 363 00:24:40,445 --> 00:24:41,646 it was massive. 364 00:24:41,713 --> 00:24:44,149 ERIK: Lou, this is one of my very good friends. 365 00:24:44,783 --> 00:24:47,719 NARRATOR: It takes five hours of surgery to repair 366 00:24:47,786 --> 00:24:51,490 shredded tendons and a severed artery. 367 00:24:52,624 --> 00:24:53,558 {\an8}ALVARO: I was bleeding massively. 368 00:24:53,625 --> 00:24:55,660 {\an8}It was like a hose, like an open hose. 369 00:24:55,727 --> 00:24:58,597 {\an8}Several sharks came up, like I counted six and they, 370 00:24:58,663 --> 00:25:00,599 they were swimming all over the place. 371 00:25:11,076 --> 00:25:14,212 NARRATOR: When investigators review the terrifying attack, 372 00:25:14,279 --> 00:25:17,382 they quickly discover an unexpected clue. 373 00:25:20,952 --> 00:25:25,624 Alvaro was attacked less than four miles from the Neptune Memorial Reef, 374 00:25:26,791 --> 00:25:29,861 the largest artificial reef ever conceived. 375 00:25:33,665 --> 00:25:37,903 Since 2007, dozens of sharks have been spotted haunting 376 00:25:37,969 --> 00:25:40,105 the Neptune Memorial Reef. 377 00:25:41,106 --> 00:25:42,207 Hammerheads. 378 00:25:42,607 --> 00:25:43,875 Tiger sharks. 379 00:25:44,276 --> 00:25:45,610 And bulls. 380 00:25:46,678 --> 00:25:50,482 Along with thousands of divers who visit it every year. 381 00:25:52,250 --> 00:25:54,019 Leading researchers to wonder, 382 00:25:54,719 --> 00:25:58,256 if artificial reefs might attract big predatory sharks. 383 00:26:01,092 --> 00:26:04,629 And put people like Alvaro, who use the water nearby, 384 00:26:05,096 --> 00:26:06,598 in danger. 385 00:26:06,665 --> 00:26:10,835 Avery says, when it comes to artificial reefs and sharks, 386 00:26:10,902 --> 00:26:13,104 it’s all about the design. 387 00:26:22,247 --> 00:26:23,848 {\an8}AVERY: When artificial reefs are installed, 388 00:26:23,915 --> 00:26:27,719 {\an8}they do form habitat for a vast variety of fish. 389 00:26:27,786 --> 00:26:31,590 And that includes not only the small bait fish, 390 00:26:31,656 --> 00:26:34,693 but also the large predators like sharks. 391 00:26:37,028 --> 00:26:40,966 NARRATOR: According to Avery, as soon as a manmade structure, 392 00:26:41,032 --> 00:26:43,134 like metal or stone, is sunk, 393 00:26:43,201 --> 00:26:46,338 it starts to form these marine habitats. 394 00:26:48,039 --> 00:26:50,241 AVERY (off-screen): There are many unanswered questions about 395 00:26:50,308 --> 00:26:53,311 how these structures function ecologically, 396 00:26:53,378 --> 00:26:55,747 that our team is beginning to chip away at. 397 00:27:00,318 --> 00:27:04,289 But our team does have evidence that sharks do tend to hang out 398 00:27:04,356 --> 00:27:08,059 more frequently on the artificial reefs compared to 399 00:27:08,126 --> 00:27:09,928 the natural reefs. 400 00:27:10,795 --> 00:27:14,499 NARRATOR: And that has implications for all underwater structures. 401 00:27:15,667 --> 00:27:18,837 AVERY: When we looked at why that might be, 402 00:27:18,903 --> 00:27:21,506 that’s where we found something really intriguing. 403 00:27:21,973 --> 00:27:23,241 MAN: Topside! 404 00:27:23,308 --> 00:27:24,643 (laughs) 405 00:27:24,709 --> 00:27:26,177 MAN: We have a visual. 406 00:27:26,578 --> 00:27:28,413 (laughter) 407 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,248 MAN: You did it. MAN 2: Good grief. 408 00:27:30,315 --> 00:27:31,616 MAN: Here we go. 409 00:27:35,086 --> 00:27:37,088 AVERY (off-screen): When managers select what type of artificial reef to 410 00:27:37,155 --> 00:27:40,992 put under water, they are weighing how to make these sites 411 00:27:41,059 --> 00:27:43,561 the best for a variety of fish. 412 00:27:43,628 --> 00:27:47,232 And oftentimes the more complex a structure, 413 00:27:47,298 --> 00:27:50,168 the more sharks it can generally support. 414 00:27:52,737 --> 00:27:55,473 NARRATOR: Avery says it’s not just complexity that might 415 00:27:55,540 --> 00:27:58,343 attracts sharks, it’s height. 416 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,148 AVERY (off-screen): One of the things that we've learned about 417 00:28:03,214 --> 00:28:06,384 artificial reefs is that the taller reefs almost act like 418 00:28:06,451 --> 00:28:11,589 skyscrapers and they attract a wide assortment of marine life 419 00:28:11,656 --> 00:28:14,592 and often big predators like sharks. 420 00:28:18,963 --> 00:28:22,233 We don't entirely know why the height of the reef is so critical. 421 00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:24,169 We have a few different theories. 422 00:28:24,235 --> 00:28:26,171 One is that it might relate to food. 423 00:28:28,973 --> 00:28:32,477 NARRATOR: Research suggests that the water around tall structures 424 00:28:32,544 --> 00:28:35,013 is often rich in plankton. 425 00:28:36,514 --> 00:28:39,718 These plankton booms create a predictable feeding ground 426 00:28:39,784 --> 00:28:41,753 for small bait fish. 427 00:28:42,420 --> 00:28:45,690 Fish that dangerous sharks often devour. 428 00:28:47,792 --> 00:28:48,860 AVERY: When you have a tall structure, 429 00:28:48,927 --> 00:28:53,431 you oftentimes have these huge glittering silvery balls of bait fish 430 00:28:53,498 --> 00:28:56,935 that can be prey items for some of these large predators. 431 00:28:59,971 --> 00:29:02,474 So if the shark’s food is there maybe those animals 432 00:29:02,540 --> 00:29:05,410 will be drawn to these high relief structures. 433 00:29:11,082 --> 00:29:12,717 NARRATOR: It seems the design of structures 434 00:29:12,784 --> 00:29:16,755 like artificial reefs, especially vertical ones, 435 00:29:16,821 --> 00:29:20,291 provides a valuable feeding ground for sharks. 436 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,830 So valuable, that Avery says sharks may gravitate towards 437 00:29:25,897 --> 00:29:29,567 not one, but many shipwrecks during their lifespan. 438 00:29:39,177 --> 00:29:40,979 AVERY (off-screen): We think that sharks might be using 439 00:29:41,045 --> 00:29:43,281 these human-made structures as rest stops 440 00:29:43,348 --> 00:29:47,018 on their journey from Point A to Point B. 441 00:29:47,285 --> 00:29:50,555 It's really interesting because if you're a large predator and 442 00:29:50,622 --> 00:29:54,025 you're moving along a particular swath of the ocean, 443 00:29:54,092 --> 00:29:57,929 oftentimes there's going to be a desert of sand. 444 00:30:00,999 --> 00:30:03,968 And these habitats provide little islands or oases that 445 00:30:04,035 --> 00:30:08,473 the predators can stop at to get food or also rest. 446 00:30:12,577 --> 00:30:14,879 NARRATOR: If sharks use shipwrecks and other structures 447 00:30:14,946 --> 00:30:17,549 as pit stops in our oceans, 448 00:30:17,615 --> 00:30:20,351 investigators question if they return to them? 449 00:30:21,452 --> 00:30:25,723 Putting people who dive and fish nearby at risk. 450 00:30:27,859 --> 00:30:30,028 A case in Cape Cod, Massachusetts 451 00:30:30,094 --> 00:30:33,531 may reveal the answer investigators are looking for. 452 00:30:37,502 --> 00:30:40,738 MAN (over radio): It’s another sunny day here on the Cape. 453 00:30:40,805 --> 00:30:43,208 Tourist season is underway. 454 00:30:52,951 --> 00:30:56,387 NARRATOR: Just down the coast from a 140-year-old shipwreck, 455 00:30:57,522 --> 00:31:01,392 50-year-old Chris Myers and his son JJ are on vacation. 456 00:31:03,428 --> 00:31:04,963 JJ: Dad, where are we going? 457 00:31:05,029 --> 00:31:06,631 CHRIS: To the sandbar. 458 00:31:07,031 --> 00:31:08,266 Let’s go. 459 00:31:14,439 --> 00:31:17,208 NARRATOR: They make their way 400 yards from shore, 460 00:31:17,308 --> 00:31:19,544 in search of a shallow patch of sand. 461 00:31:28,019 --> 00:31:30,488 JJ: How deep are we? 462 00:31:30,555 --> 00:31:33,725 CHRIS: I don’t know. Hold on. 463 00:31:37,262 --> 00:31:38,630 NARRATOR: Little do they know, 464 00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:43,868 they’re out of their depth. 465 00:31:51,709 --> 00:31:54,512 ♪ ♪ 466 00:31:54,579 --> 00:31:57,615 NARRATOR: Chris’s son JJ is a sitting duck. 467 00:32:03,621 --> 00:32:05,023 (panting) 468 00:32:05,089 --> 00:32:06,457 CHRIS: It’s too deep. 469 00:32:06,524 --> 00:32:08,893 I can’t reach the bottom. 470 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:10,595 Let’s go. 471 00:32:14,432 --> 00:32:16,100 NARRATOR: Suddenly... 472 00:32:18,136 --> 00:32:22,140 CHRIS: Agh! JJ: Dad! Dad! 473 00:32:23,541 --> 00:32:27,745 NARRATOR: A Great White shark traps Chris’s left ankle in its jaws. 474 00:32:29,380 --> 00:32:31,182 JJ: Dad! 475 00:32:31,249 --> 00:32:32,951 NARRATOR: Chris kicks out. 476 00:32:34,085 --> 00:32:35,253 (screams). 477 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,055 NARRATOR: And frees his foot. 478 00:32:37,922 --> 00:32:41,159 (screaming). 479 00:32:41,225 --> 00:32:45,096 CHRIS: Go! Go! Go! 480 00:32:45,163 --> 00:32:48,166 NARRATOR: But the shark may not be done. 481 00:32:49,334 --> 00:32:50,668 JJ: Come on! 482 00:32:56,708 --> 00:32:58,810 Help, we need help. 483 00:32:58,876 --> 00:33:02,113 Dad! Dad, come on! 484 00:33:02,180 --> 00:33:03,348 Dad, come on. 485 00:33:03,414 --> 00:33:05,316 Come on. Help! Help! 486 00:33:05,383 --> 00:33:07,285 NARRATOR: Once back on land, 487 00:33:07,352 --> 00:33:10,021 the extent of his wounds becomes clear. 488 00:33:15,793 --> 00:33:18,329 Chris suffers lacerations, 489 00:33:18,396 --> 00:33:20,999 nerve damage and a severed tendon. 490 00:33:24,369 --> 00:33:26,771 GREG (off-screen): The attack on Chris was a shock to the world. 491 00:33:28,673 --> 00:33:30,508 {\an8}There hadn't been an attack in Massachusetts waters 492 00:33:30,575 --> 00:33:32,777 {\an8}in 76 years. 493 00:33:34,178 --> 00:33:37,515 NARRATOR: Doctor Greg Skomal studies sharks in Cape Cod. 494 00:33:39,217 --> 00:33:42,420 He says Chris’s attack was only the beginning. 495 00:33:43,521 --> 00:33:44,655 GREG: Since Chris was bitten, 496 00:33:44,722 --> 00:33:47,692 we have seen more of these kinds of incidents. 497 00:33:47,759 --> 00:33:48,893 Kayaks and sharks. 498 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:50,795 (yells) 499 00:33:51,863 --> 00:33:54,232 WOMAN: Oh, my God! 500 00:33:54,298 --> 00:33:55,900 GREG: Paddle boards and sharks. 501 00:33:55,967 --> 00:33:58,202 MAN: Coming in and he's right here. 502 00:33:58,269 --> 00:34:02,340 GREG: And on two other occasions, attacks on human beings. 503 00:34:04,809 --> 00:34:09,881 NARRATOR: Since 2012, hundreds of Great Whites are spotted in the Cape, 504 00:34:09,947 --> 00:34:12,617 and at least five people are attacked. 505 00:34:13,818 --> 00:34:17,955 GREG: This was a wake-up call to the local community where 506 00:34:18,022 --> 00:34:20,825 people said, "Okay, there are white sharks here." 507 00:34:20,892 --> 00:34:24,195 And not only that, but they can bite somebody. 508 00:34:24,262 --> 00:34:25,997 And so we have a lot of questions, 509 00:34:26,064 --> 00:34:28,699 the first one being, okay, why are the sharks here? 510 00:34:28,766 --> 00:34:30,134 You know, and that's something I really wanted to 511 00:34:30,201 --> 00:34:31,169 get to the bottom of. 512 00:34:31,636 --> 00:34:34,605 NARRATOR: Investigators race to understand what’s driving 513 00:34:34,672 --> 00:34:37,041 this white shark incursion. 514 00:34:38,676 --> 00:34:41,045 They quickly uncover a theme. 515 00:34:42,713 --> 00:34:46,851 There’s one thing the Cape has no shortage of; 516 00:34:46,918 --> 00:34:48,686 shipwrecks. 517 00:34:48,753 --> 00:34:50,822 GREG: Cape Cod historically has been 518 00:34:51,222 --> 00:34:53,891 an ocean graveyard for shipwrecks. 519 00:34:55,359 --> 00:34:58,329 GREG (off-screen): There's thousands of shipwrecks around Cape Cod and 520 00:34:58,396 --> 00:35:01,332 some of these shipwrecks are actually quite close to shore 521 00:35:01,399 --> 00:35:03,000 in an extremely shallow water and 522 00:35:03,067 --> 00:35:06,437 they become attractants to all kinds of marine life from 523 00:35:06,504 --> 00:35:10,675 the smallest fishes up to large predatory sharks, 524 00:35:11,409 --> 00:35:12,643 including white sharks. 525 00:35:13,344 --> 00:35:16,247 NARRATOR: Investigators already know sharks likely use 526 00:35:16,314 --> 00:35:19,550 shipwrecks as pit stops for food and shelter. 527 00:35:20,718 --> 00:35:22,920 The question now is; 528 00:35:22,987 --> 00:35:28,259 are the same sharks returning to these wrecks, year after year? 529 00:35:28,459 --> 00:35:31,729 Greg says it’s possible. 530 00:35:41,472 --> 00:35:43,441 GREG (off-screen): We know that large pelagic sharks visit 531 00:35:43,508 --> 00:35:46,210 these shipwrecks because of the abundance of prey, 532 00:35:46,277 --> 00:35:47,678 despite the fact that the rest of the year, 533 00:35:47,745 --> 00:35:49,947 they may be thousands of miles away. 534 00:35:51,749 --> 00:35:53,684 NARRATOR: Greg digs into his tracking data. 535 00:35:53,751 --> 00:35:56,287 MAN: Oh! 536 00:35:56,354 --> 00:35:58,089 GREG (off-screen): We've tagged enough white sharks to demonstrate 537 00:35:58,156 --> 00:36:02,093 that the same individuals come back to Cape Cod year 538 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,328 after year after year. 539 00:36:04,395 --> 00:36:08,666 We've even got acoustic receivers on shipwrecks that 540 00:36:08,733 --> 00:36:11,102 demonstrate that a number of white sharks visit 541 00:36:11,169 --> 00:36:12,637 those shipwrecks. 542 00:36:12,703 --> 00:36:15,640 So I think it's entirely possible that if a shipwreck is 543 00:36:15,706 --> 00:36:19,644 a very productive area for a specific white shark or 544 00:36:19,710 --> 00:36:20,878 a number of white sharks, 545 00:36:20,945 --> 00:36:23,247 they're going to come back to that year after year. 546 00:36:24,815 --> 00:36:28,219 NARRATOR: If this is true, the white shark that bit Chris Myers 547 00:36:28,286 --> 00:36:32,023 might have been on a yearly trip to a nearby shipwreck. 548 00:36:32,089 --> 00:36:34,125 CHRIS: Agh! JJ: Dad! 549 00:36:34,192 --> 00:36:37,228 NARRATOR: Researchers need more evidence to know for sure, 550 00:36:37,295 --> 00:36:41,299 if wrecks with abundant prey can be a constant draw for sharks. 551 00:36:42,567 --> 00:36:45,903 A study over 1,000 miles away in the Bahamas 552 00:36:45,970 --> 00:36:48,206 could have the answer. 553 00:36:48,606 --> 00:36:49,774 ILIJAH: That one’s coming in quick! 554 00:36:53,010 --> 00:36:55,346 SMUKALL: All right here we go. 555 00:36:59,850 --> 00:37:02,820 NARRATOR: The Bimini Shark Lab’s Matt Smukall is on a mission to 556 00:37:02,887 --> 00:37:06,724 determine if sharks can remember feeding grounds and 557 00:37:06,791 --> 00:37:08,626 return to them. 558 00:37:11,095 --> 00:37:12,897 SMUKALL (off-screen): There's shipwrecks all along the coast that are 559 00:37:12,964 --> 00:37:16,267 prime habitat for sharks. 560 00:37:17,435 --> 00:37:20,638 {\an8}What we want to know is can sharks navigate back to 561 00:37:20,705 --> 00:37:23,608 {\an8}those areas and use them repeatedly over time. 562 00:37:25,409 --> 00:37:28,079 NARRATOR: The implications could be huge. 563 00:37:34,952 --> 00:37:38,489 To test this, Matt targets a familiar mangrove known for 564 00:37:38,556 --> 00:37:44,161 lemon sharks with fellow shark researcher Sophia Emmons and 565 00:37:45,162 --> 00:37:48,165 assistants Ilijah Louis and Alina Hussey. 566 00:37:50,234 --> 00:37:53,838 About 30 days ago, the shark lab baited this mangrove 567 00:37:53,904 --> 00:37:56,474 near a set of radio receivers. 568 00:37:56,540 --> 00:38:01,512 Receivers that ping every time a tagged lemon shark swims past. 569 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:07,618 The team then returned every day for a month and baited in 570 00:38:07,685 --> 00:38:11,856 the exact same place at the exact same time 571 00:38:11,922 --> 00:38:14,058 with the exact same bait. 572 00:38:15,459 --> 00:38:17,194 SMUKALL: What we now want to know, is, 573 00:38:17,762 --> 00:38:21,132 are the same individuals coming back at the same time each day 574 00:38:21,198 --> 00:38:23,401 to that spot to be fed? 575 00:38:27,505 --> 00:38:28,506 All right, Sophia we’re here, 576 00:38:28,572 --> 00:38:30,441 you’re good to go ahead and drop the anchor. 577 00:38:32,510 --> 00:38:36,280 NARRATOR: Today the team will set the bait one last time. 578 00:38:36,881 --> 00:38:38,749 SMUKALL: Let’s just really quietly approach and 579 00:38:38,816 --> 00:38:41,585 see if there’s any lemons already are waiting for us. 580 00:38:41,652 --> 00:38:43,988 NARRATOR: And see whether the same lemons sharks observed at 581 00:38:44,055 --> 00:38:47,725 the start of the test come back. 582 00:38:48,759 --> 00:38:50,895 SMUKALL: Let’s go ahead and start the baiting. 583 00:39:04,842 --> 00:39:08,779 NARRATOR: It doesn’t take long for sharks to arrive. 584 00:39:08,846 --> 00:39:10,815 SOPHIA: Look at that, they're already here! 585 00:39:14,752 --> 00:39:17,688 They must've already been here before we even got here. 586 00:39:19,557 --> 00:39:22,793 NARRATOR: A group of juvenile lemon sharks rush the bait tube. 587 00:39:22,860 --> 00:39:25,129 ILIJAH: That one's coming in quick; look at it. 588 00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:31,736 SOPHIA (off-screen): When we started baiting here, 589 00:39:31,802 --> 00:39:34,638 {\an8}we were seeing these sharks come in, but it took them a bit of time, 590 00:39:34,705 --> 00:39:36,240 {\an8}maybe five or ten minutes. 591 00:39:36,307 --> 00:39:38,876 {\an8}So now they're really coming in fast. 592 00:39:41,011 --> 00:39:43,013 NARRATOR: Based on the tracking data, 593 00:39:43,581 --> 00:39:46,450 Sophia says these are some of the same individuals 594 00:39:46,517 --> 00:39:49,086 first observed 30 days ago. 595 00:39:49,620 --> 00:39:51,889 SOPHIA: I remember seeing a few of these from day one 596 00:39:51,956 --> 00:39:53,591 when we started baiting here. 597 00:39:53,657 --> 00:39:58,429 NARRATOR: Suggesting lemon sharks can remember a location and swim back to it. 598 00:39:59,563 --> 00:40:02,533 So long as the area has something beneficial, 599 00:40:03,300 --> 00:40:04,969 like a reliable food source. 600 00:40:06,570 --> 00:40:08,973 SMUKALL: Seeing the same individual sharks here, 601 00:40:09,039 --> 00:40:10,741 and obviously these lemon sharks, 602 00:40:10,808 --> 00:40:12,343 have a really high site fidelity. 603 00:40:12,410 --> 00:40:15,212 So they keep using those same areas within their home range, 604 00:40:15,279 --> 00:40:17,081 time and time again. 605 00:40:19,950 --> 00:40:21,585 NARRATOR: But what about larger sharks, 606 00:40:21,652 --> 00:40:23,921 like the Great Whites in Cape Cod? 607 00:40:23,988 --> 00:40:27,691 SMUKALL: It's very plausible that this goes on with other species of sharks 608 00:40:27,758 --> 00:40:30,494 where they can remember a reliable food source, 609 00:40:30,561 --> 00:40:34,432 whether that's at an estuary or a reef or a shipwreck. 610 00:40:37,635 --> 00:40:38,903 NARRATOR: Doctor Greg Skomal is 611 00:40:38,969 --> 00:40:41,806 not surprised by the Shark Lab’s findings. 612 00:40:46,644 --> 00:40:48,913 GREG (off-screen): Any habitat that provides food, 613 00:40:48,979 --> 00:40:50,981 protection sharks are going to go back to it. 614 00:40:51,382 --> 00:40:53,083 And that includes shipwrecks. 615 00:40:54,218 --> 00:40:58,022 {\an8}A good example are sand tigers off North Carolina coming back 616 00:40:58,088 --> 00:41:01,859 {\an8}to sites consistently, up to six years later. 617 00:41:01,926 --> 00:41:04,228 That's a remarkable memory, you know, 618 00:41:04,295 --> 00:41:06,730 to be able to navigate in many cases, 619 00:41:06,797 --> 00:41:08,632 thousands of miles away, 620 00:41:08,699 --> 00:41:10,234 that's mind blowing. 621 00:41:13,170 --> 00:41:15,739 NARRATOR: Given this revelation about shark memory, 622 00:41:15,806 --> 00:41:18,943 perhaps shipwrecks are to blame for the yearly influx of 623 00:41:19,009 --> 00:41:21,579 white sharks in Cape Cod. 624 00:41:21,645 --> 00:41:25,382 And can finally explain why the shark that bit Chris Meyers was 625 00:41:25,449 --> 00:41:27,218 drawn to the area. 626 00:41:29,820 --> 00:41:31,789 Greg says, think again. 627 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:39,330 GREG: Even though white sharks do visit shipwrecks around Cape Cod, 628 00:41:39,396 --> 00:41:41,499 I think there's a driving force there 629 00:41:41,565 --> 00:41:45,102 that completely obliterates the idea that shipwrecks are 630 00:41:45,169 --> 00:41:47,505 bringing white sharks close to shore. 631 00:41:48,706 --> 00:41:51,642 It's the growing presence of seals in the area that is 632 00:41:51,709 --> 00:41:53,844 drawing these sharks close to shore. 633 00:41:57,414 --> 00:42:01,252 NARRATOR: The gray seal is a favorite meal for large Great Whites. 634 00:42:05,823 --> 00:42:07,291 And for the past 50 years, 635 00:42:07,358 --> 00:42:10,628 the Cape’s seal population has skyrocketed. 636 00:42:12,429 --> 00:42:14,665 GREG (off-screen): Having seals come back to the area from virtually 637 00:42:14,732 --> 00:42:18,269 being non-existent draws these sharks close to shore. 638 00:42:18,669 --> 00:42:22,907 So that shark that bit Chris Myers was hunting in the area. 639 00:42:22,973 --> 00:42:26,644 And it's my conviction that that shark was confused and 640 00:42:26,710 --> 00:42:29,213 wanted to get a sense of what he was. 641 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:31,815 CHRIS: Agh! JJ: Dad! 642 00:42:33,017 --> 00:42:36,320 GREG: And luckily for Chris, it was a minor bite versus 643 00:42:36,387 --> 00:42:38,222 a fatal attack. 644 00:42:38,722 --> 00:42:41,926 CHRIS: Go! Go! 645 00:42:42,326 --> 00:42:44,962 NARRATOR: The idea that shipwrecks cause these predators 646 00:42:45,029 --> 00:42:48,465 to attack seems unlikely. 647 00:42:48,532 --> 00:42:53,437 But something is still driving sharks to ocean graveyards and 648 00:42:53,504 --> 00:42:55,906 causing dangerous encounters. 649 00:42:58,208 --> 00:43:00,377 GREG (off-screen): It’s not the people that draw sharks to shipwrecks. 650 00:43:00,444 --> 00:43:02,313 It's not really the structure itself. 651 00:43:02,379 --> 00:43:05,849 It's the species that live on those shipwrecks that 652 00:43:05,916 --> 00:43:07,618 draw those sharks there. 653 00:43:12,823 --> 00:43:17,094 NARRATOR: Whether it’s an underwater structure close to shore or a ship 654 00:43:17,161 --> 00:43:22,433 lost at sea, sharks can find refuge there. 655 00:43:23,767 --> 00:43:25,636 AVERY (off-screen): Both artificial reefs and shipwrecks 656 00:43:25,703 --> 00:43:28,973 form incredible oases for big predators like sharks. 657 00:43:30,140 --> 00:43:32,643 NARRATOR: Some sharks use wrecks for rest. 658 00:43:33,510 --> 00:43:37,281 Others may stop by for a pre-natal meal. 659 00:43:38,015 --> 00:43:39,783 {\an8}JAMES: These gestational grounds, 660 00:43:39,850 --> 00:43:42,686 {\an8}whether they be shipwrecks or some other marine sanctuary, 661 00:43:42,753 --> 00:43:44,088 {\an8}need to be studied. 662 00:43:44,922 --> 00:43:46,657 {\an8}NARRATOR: Whatever the reason, 663 00:43:46,724 --> 00:43:48,892 {\an8}one thing is certain. 664 00:43:48,959 --> 00:43:50,461 {\an8}If sharks are there, 665 00:43:50,527 --> 00:43:54,398 {\an8}it’s a sign the environment is thriving. 666 00:43:56,066 --> 00:43:58,235 {\an8}GREG (off-screen): Its structure generates life, 667 00:43:58,302 --> 00:44:01,505 {\an8}as long as shipwrecks provide a healthy habitat for 668 00:44:01,572 --> 00:44:05,042 {\an8}the entire food web, sharks will be there. 669 00:44:07,811 --> 00:44:09,913 {\an8}Captioned by Cotter Media Group.