Sharks

They shock and scare us, but no other creature captures our imagination quite like the shark. A visit to Kelly Tarlton's will get you eye-to-eye with these feared predators.

Sharks have existed for over 400 million years, which is more than 100 million years before the dinosaur. There are more than 350 species of shark in the world, of which only three inhabit Kelly Tarlton’s predator tank: Broadnose Sevengill, School and Wobbegong sharks. Our newest arrivals, the fearsome Sand Tiger shark, are currently in the Oceanarium for a settling in period. Soon they'll join the other sharks in the Predator Tank. 

The Predator Tank
The Predator Tank in Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World is designed to provide as few obstacles as possible for the sharks. This makes it more like the Shark’s natural environment, the open sea. Our Predator Tank alone contains more than a million litres of seawater pumped straight from Waitemata harbour.

Hand-feeding our Sharks 
This is our favourite job! Every Tuesday and Thursday our sharks are hand fed by two divers, each with a bucket of Mullet and Kahawai. The sharks eat up to 100 kilograms of food a week. Even if they’re not hungry, some of the sharks enjoy giving our divers a good 'nudge', just to remind them of their presence!

Shark Teeth 
Sharks can have up to 3000 teeth in a lifetime. Because of wear and tear they shed their teeth regularly. If you look closely on the floor of the tank you're likely to see their old pearly whites! Most sharks have about five rows of teeth.

Shark Attacks
During the past 150 years in New Zealand, there has been an average of just 2.6 shark attacks per decade and only one fatal attack every 13 years! Worldwide, less than 30 shark attacks have been recorded annually for the past 50 years. Of those, just seven have been fatal.

There are more than 350 species of shark and very few are regarded as a threat to humans. Great White, Bull sharks and Tiger sharks have the worst reputation. 

You have a far greater risk of; being killed on the road whilst driving to the beach, drowning at the beach, or being killed by Elephants, Bees, Crocodiles or lightning than you do of being attacked, let alone killed by a shark.  

Did you know? It is estimated that humans kill about 100 million sharks per year!

Sharks at Kelly Tarlton's

Sand Tiger sharks

The Sand Tiger Shark is so named for its tendency towards shoreline habitats; they are often seen trolling the ocean floor in the surf zone close to shore.

Sand Tigers are denser than water and tend to sink if they stop swimming. Based on current knowledge, the Sand Tiger shark is the only shark species which swims to the water’s surface and swallows air in order to regulate its buoyancy, enabling the animal to move around and remain at any desired depth.

Scientific Name:         Carcharias taurus 

Maximum Length:     3.1metres 

Colour:                        Light brown in colour, with bronze- coloured backs, a white abdomen and very often red spots on its flanks. 

Family:                        Odontaspididae 

Captive Diet:              Mullet, squid 

Unique Traits:           The ragged looking teeth give the Sand Tiger shark a distinct menacing look 

Habitat: Sand Tiger sharks can be found in most warm seas throughout the world except for the eastern Pacific. This includes tropical and temperate parts of the North and South Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Oceans. Recorded from all parts of Australia, except Tasmania and rare in the Northern Territory. Continental shelf from the surf zone down to at least 190m; usually lives near the bottom

Broadnose Sevengill sharks

The Sevengill is one of New Zealand’s most common shark, and is at the top of the food chain, along with the White shark and Orca.

With a wiggly, lethargic swimming style and a small dorsal fin that looks like it’s slipped down its back; the Sevengill gives the impression that it’s clumsy and docile. Nothing could be further from the truth however, as it can have explosive bursts of speed.

Its toothless smile belies a top jaw full of razor sharp pointed teeth, which are designed to pin its prey. The bottom jaw has rows of rectangular teeth, each with many serrations - a very efficient and effective sawing tool.

Scientific Name:       Notorynchus cepidianus

Maximum Length:   3 meters

Colour:                       Grey or brown above with scattered black and white spots, creamy white underneath

Family:                        Hexanchidae

Captive Diet:              Mullet, Kahawai

Unique Traits:           Blunt snout and small dorsal fin

Habitat:                       Found around NZ most commonly in the North Island. Also found in Australia, India, South Africa and Japan 

 

Wobbegong sharks

'Wobby' the Australian Wobbegong is our resident Australian Carpet Shark.

'Wobby' has her own area where she likes to lie. She is known to swim very close to our divers during feeding times, and has on occasion sat on them! This can be a little scary when you see the size of her teeth and know the reputation of her bad temper!

During cold winter months 'Wobby' only occasionally hand feeds from our divers, however she more than makes up for it in summer.

Wobbegong sharks catch their prey by surprise, using camouflage and great patience, engulfing their prey in one mouthful using their long sharp pointed teeth.

 

Scientific Name:         Orectolobus ornatus

Maximum Length:     3.3 metres

Colour:                         Brown, yellow and grey - camouflage colours

Captive Diet:                Mullet, Kahawai

Unique Traits:             An ambush predator

Habitat:                         Indigenous to Australia and the coastal reefs of the Pacific 

 

School sharks

School sharks are common around Auckland over summer and can be found in depths of around 200 hundred metres. They occasionally swim inshore and are generally regarded as safe to humans. 

At Kelly Tarlton's they are known to get quite frenzied during feeding times, gulping down their food and sneaking up on divers.   

 

Scientific Name:              Galeorhinus galeus

Maximum Length:           1.7 meters

Colour:                              Grey or bronze above, white underneath

Family:                               Triakidae

Captive Diet:                     Mullet, Kahawai

Unique Traits:                  Congregate in large groups hence the reference to the word 'school'

Habitat:                              Found all around New Zealand and in parts of Australia

Are you brave enough to swim with the sharks? Then you can’t miss the adrenalin rush of a face-to-face encounter with the ocean’s great predators - either with a Shark Cage, or without in a truly thrilling Shark Survival experience right here at Kelly Tarlton's.