Tiger Shark

Known for its distinctive dark vertical stripes on its grey/green body, the tiger shark averages around 10-14 ft long but has been known to reach 18 ft. Their blunt snout and unique, serrated, notched teeth allow them to eat almost anything. This includes sea turtles, birds, and even garbage.  They are found globally in temperate and tropical waters. Although shark attacks on humans are truly a rare occurrence, one of the most famous incidents of a shark attacking a human involved a tiger shark. In 2003, on Tunnels Beach in Kauai, Hawaii, Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm when a shark mistook her for prey while lying on her surfboard in open water. Within weeks, Hamilton was back out in the water relearning to surf with only her remaining arm.

This incredible shark is famous for its extremely long, scythe-like upper tail fin. The fin can grow up to nearly 1/2 their body length and is used like a bull whip to stun schooling fish. At around 20 ft long, these sharks can reach speeds of around 30 mph, but the whip of their tail can reach 80 mph. Although their cruising speed is quite slow, they use their maximum speed to hunt mackerel, herring, and squid

Reeef sharks refer to multiple closely related species, including the blacktip, the white tip, and the Caribbean reef shark.  Commonly seen by divers along reefs, they are the apex predator of the areas and actually help coral thrive! Controlling fish population around and on the reefs allows for corals to grow without worry of overgrazing by the small fish that also call the reef home. Reef sharks also don't need to swim if they don't want to. They can breathe by pushing water over their gills while they rest on the sea floor. 

Coming in at a striking 5,000 pounds and having been known to reach up to 7,300 pounds, the great white shark averages 20 feet long and is one of the ocean's top predators. The famous female "Deep Blue" is estimated to be over two tons. The Great white is truly an amazing predator. Their coloring is actually true camouflage. The dark grey top half makes it nearly impossible to spot from above by prey, and anything lurking below can't spot it looking up due to the bright white underbelly and the sun coming through the water. 

Named for its coloration, the stocky yellowish-brown lemon shark features two equally sized dorsal fins, a blunt snout, and robust body structure. Unlike many sharks, which are happier to be by themselves, lemon sharks often gather socially in tropical waters on reefs, in estuaries, and in mangrove forests to feed on fish and rays. They are known to be relatively docile with humans but are considered vulnerable due to habitat loss. 

North Carolina has several native species of rays, including the Atlantic stingray (most common), Southern stingray, cownose & bullnose rays, roughtail ray, spotted eagle ray, and yellow stingray. Their diet consists of marine worms, crustaceans, clams, and small fish. These beautiful creatures are bottom dwellers and have no intention of hurting humans, but can be difficult to see on the bottom, often resulting in accidental barbing. If walking through sandy flats, it's always recommended to shuffle your feet rather than walk. The shuffle will often startle the ray and cause it to move out of the way.