A sea turtle was minding its own business when all of a sudden a tiger shark starts swimming around him. Tiger sharks are formidable predators that consume a broad variety of animals. Fish, seals, fowl, smaller sharks, octopi, and turtles are among its favorite foods. This shark is notorious for circling its victim and probing it with its nose to investigate it. When the shark attacks, it consumes all of its prey. When the shark initially attacks the turtle, it fails as the shelled creature turns its body away from the apex predator’s mouth. One of nature’s greatest protective coverings is the turtle shell, which is made up of overlapping keratin plates that encase the soft flesh of the reptile within. Turtles lack speed and aren’t particularly good fighters, so they depend on their strong shells to defend them from attackers. When seeking a meal, certain animals are more than capable of shattering a turtle’s shell. Sea turtles have been observed rotating their shells to the shark’s jaws as it approaches, stopping the shark from eating their flippers or sensitive tissues, and moving quickly in the other direction if an attack is imminent. Another scene shows the turtle on its back, almost as if to prevent getting attacked from under the water. There are several times when the shark gets a hold of the innocent sea turtle and even drags it under the surface with its powerful jaw. Adult sea turtles are preyed upon by a few predators, the majority of which are huge sharks. Sea turtles are known to be eaten by tiger sharks in particular. Leatherback turtles have been known to be eaten by killer whales. Tiger sharks adjust their travels according to the season in order to benefit from nesting turtles in the summer. The last thing you see in the video is the aggressive tiger shark with its prey hanging out of its mouth. Thankfully, the photographer filming the attack mentions the sea turtle eventually made it safely to shore! While we’re glad the turtle made it out okay, it’s truly a jaw-dropping sight to see. What would you do if you saw an attack like this happen in front of you?
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