Deadliest Sharks uncovers one of the most dangerous sharks you've never heard of
Tiger sharks, Bull sharks and Great White sharks. They're all known for being some of the most dangerous species of sharks in the world.
But there may be one that's arguably even deadlier than the dangerous sharks you're familiar with, we're talking about the Oceanic Whitetip shark.
Despite this shark being highly dangerous to humans, it's likely you've never heard of the species before.
In Deadliest Sharks — which is available to stream for free on 9Now — Marine Biologist Michael L. Domeier sets out to study the dangerous species, of which little is known about.
"Oceanic Whitetip sharks have probably killed more people on the planet than any other shark that we know," said Domeier.
He explained the true story behind the USS Indianapolis in 1945, where the heavy cruiser ship was attacked and sunk. While sailors were waiting to be rescued among the shipwreck, it's reported that many were picked off by Oceanic Whitetip sharks during this time.
It's estimated a few dozen to 150 sailors were killed by sharks, which makes it the deadliest shark attack in history.
"They [Oceanic Whitetip sharks] are one of the least understood. Least studied. Most ignored shark species on the planet," Domeier said.
He noted that part of the reason why is because they're open ocean sharks, meaning that humans rarely come into contact with them.
Domeier traveled to Cat Island in the Bahamas, in order to track down and dive with the shark.
After arriving, the team discovers the sharks move in a way that conserves energy, and that they're often in groups.
The sharks begin to press in and after a significant amount of time underwater the divers surface as the sharks continue to circle the boat.
One thing they note is that the Oceanic Whitetip sharks are incredibly curious and often follow boats.
"If my sailboat just sank and I'm by myself and that shark is going around and around and around me, and you're in the water and you're getting weaker… I would not be laughing," Domeier said.
"Those sharks, if they were to find you. They're going to be swimming around you, waiting for you to tire out and then, I'm sorry but they're going to get you. Does that make them a bad shark? No, they're just doing what they have to do to survive."
The team then dug up some junk which has washed ashore and make a mock shipwreck with no bait, to see if the small structure alone will attract an Oceanic Whitetip shark. It didn't take long for one to appear and take a keen interest in the structure. It supports the theory they approach and show up at shipwrecks quickly.
Domeier then heads to Kona, Hawaii, to look into why their population has shrunk in the Pacific. The team plan to find one and tag it, so that it can be observed and studied. However they sadly fall short in catching it. Despite this they take away some key learnings from their expedition.
"In the Bahamas, I've learnt anything that they see that is out of the ordinary they're going to check it out. If a ship is going down, that is going to attract an Oceanic Whitetip, and when he's on the scene he's going to be circling around looking for anything that might be food and probing for weaknesses," he said.