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05/10/2004: "TIGER SHARK FEEDS ............a stingray snack"

Captured tiger sharks are often found with stingray spines around and inside their mouth. Why? Stingray are on the menu of this shark species. When the rays doze, usually on a sandy sea floor, they may cover themselves with a layer of sand for visual protection.

Another tactic for survival for sleeping rays is to group together, wing-tip to wing-tip. Any ray disturbed will subsequently alert his near companion and so on. (We photographed a good example of this near the famed Yongala shipwreck, south of Townsville during the filming of our video release documentary Reef Safari).

The shark pictured was one of the estimated 10 to 15 tigers sighted last week during a 24 hour period. The picture was taken at non-tourist Batt Reef 27 km off Port Douglas, Queensland AFTER Ben Cropp's rubbber dinghy was chewed to a mess by a similar sized animal.