Feeding Frenzy 1000 Sharks

Some scientists have observed feeding frenzies occurring naturally, particularly in shallow waters where seabirds, seals and sea lions congregate. However, they don't appear to be a common natural occurrence. Rather, it's more likely that feeding frenzies are rare events caused by a 'supernormal stimulus,' such as a high amount of stress in the water [source: Parker].

Feeding Frenzy 1000 Sharks 2017
Feeding Frenzy 1000 Sharks Video
1000 Sharks Feeding Frenzy

Feeding Frenzy 1000 Sharks 2017

For Feeding Frenzy on the Xbox 360, a GameFAQs message board topic titled '1000 Shark Achievement Tips.'

Studies have shown that sharks can sense distressed prey; they respond to scents emitted by injured fish, and they can hear the sounds of a wounded person thrashing around in the water [source: Shark Trust]. Given the choice between healthy and injured prey, the shark will always pick the injured prey because it will take less energy to catch it. But things get crazy when more than one shark shows up to take advantage of the prey's misfortune.

It's important to note that many species retain a sense of order within a frenzy. The Caribbean reef shark, for example, still maintains a quasi pecking order during a feeding frenzy [source: Dehart]. The whitetip reef shark also behaves in a (somewhat) orderly fashion during what looks to be a chaotic bloodbath. If this buffet entices multiple sharks, sometimes they'll inadvertently bite each other [source: Dehart].

Many feeding frenzies start near fishing boats, particularly when fishermen pull in a net of fish. These fish are thrashing against the net and perhaps have been injured in their capture, and the chemicals they give off attract the sharks. Sharks become aroused by the scent of blood and think they've happened upon an easy meal, but when more than one shark shows up, the scene gets competitive.

In the case of a shipwreck, sharks may be attracted to the panicking humans who are splashing around in the water. At the time of World Wars I and II, the oceanic whitetip shark was believed to have had many a feeding frenzy when boats were torpedoed and planes were shot down. This deep-water dwelling shark was often first on the scene of maritime disasters, such as the World War II sinking of the Nova Scotia steamship. Of the 1,000 men aboard, only 192 survived, with many fatalities ascribed to whitetip feeding frenzies [source: Bester].

Humans aren't normally on the shark's menu. Shark attacks on humans might actually just be an error or an experimental bite to determine how they'd taste. But one practice that is increasingly causing feeding frenzies may lead sharks to associate humans with food even more. Shark feeding dives, an activity in which a group of caged divers descends to the deeps to get up close and personal with sharks, have become a huge draw in some parts of the world. To attract the sharks, diving companies use chum, or a mixture of blood and dead fish bits. Now, frenzies are seen most often when sharks are fed with artificial bait [source: Parker].

In 1975, the U.S. National Park Service warned people not to feed wild animals in national parks and refuges because giving supplemental food to these animals changes their feeding habits and behaviors. If sharks start to link humans with this food, they might seek out humans who have no food to give them. Several injuries have already occurred to swimmers who were in sites previously used by divers [source: Alevizon]. In addition, many feel that artificial feeding defeats the purpose of trying to see these creatures in their natural state.

Whether the attraction is to frantic prey or a frothy mix of blood and guts, the intense stress emitted by these items seems to cause the sharks to freak out and enter the frenzied state. The more sharks attracted to the scene, the more distressed the scene becomes, as the splashing increases. Scientists don't know yet how much of a feeding frenzy is actually about eating and how much of it is about establishing dominance in some ordered way that looks like chaos to us. Regardless, frenzies are one more thing that makes sharks both fearsome and fascinating.

What Is Causing This Behavior?

While not a common siding, sharks commonly feed in groups in order to effectively corral small fish which are known as bait fish. This type of behavior is normally seen hundreds of feet offshore, but these sharks came so close to the shoreline that a few of them nearly beached themselves. Many people wonder, why were these sharks coming so close to the shoreline?

It appears in this feeding frenzy the sharks were chasing bluefish. For whatever reason, these sharks were thinking of nothing except to getting their meal and in the process were endangering their lives. This is not very usual shark behavior. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine what type of sharks these were. There are many who claim they are blacktip sharks or maybe even sandbar sharks. It would be much easier to help determine why they are behaving this way if we could more easily pinpoint the species of these sharks. In either case, this behavior is a bit out of character for any shark.

No Cause For Alarm

Even though this behavior is a bit strange, it is not unheard of and in fact this type of behavior is a sign that the ecosystem is extremely healthy. You will also notice all of the birds that are also in the area. Near shorelines, birds will often conjugate in areas where there is a high concentration of fish and other food sources. What likely happened in this situation is there were simply so many fish that the sharks literally were so excited that they were unintentionally putting themselves in such extreme danger by being so close to the shoreline. It looks like a frenzy and that’s probably exactly what it was. They wanted to get their share of the pie while it was still there.

Yes, The Shores Of North Carolina Are Safe!

There have been no reported attacks or additional unusual shark behavior in North Carolina and the beaches there are as safe as they have ever been. This video did cause some alarm for people but as stated earlier, this is actually very healthy behavior and as with most cases the sharks do not want anything to do with humans.

What To Do If You See A Shark Frenzy Like This

Obviously, if you are in the water, you’ll want to quickly book home we exit the water immediately. This probably goes without saying, but keep in mind that sharks normally do not attack a human being on purpose. Sharks will normally by a human if they believe that the human is a food source such as an injured animal or large fish. Splashing around in the water and moving and erratic motions can confuse the shark. So it is best to try to stay calm and get to shore in the fastest way possible without causing a big commotion.