Newsweek recently reported that a diver captured a chilling moment when a tiger shark switched to “hunting mode” after detecting the scent of potential prey underwater.
In the clip, which has been viewed over 900,000 times on TikTok, you can see the tiger shark’s eyes change color from dark to white as it detects its potential prey.
“White eyes act as a protective membrane, so when a shark is about to eat or is in ‘hunting mode’, the white layer will appear to protect its eyes from being scratched by the prey trying to escape,” Dan Senior, the filmmaker, told Newsweek.
Tiger shark changes eye color when it goes into hunting mode upon detecting human scent and swims towards the camera (Image: TikTok/@scubadan).
Senior has been diving for 11 years and has encountered tiger sharks, bull sharks, great white sharks, and orcas. However, his most dangerous encounter was with a blue-ringed octopus, one of the deadliest creatures in the world.
He also mentioned that tiger sharks typically move quite slowly, but you must always keep an eye on them if you are nearby, as they can attack stealthily.
This protective layer, known as the nictitating membrane, is an extension of the lower eyelid, similar to the third eyelid found in many birds, amphibians, and some mammals. Not all shark species have this membrane; for instance, great white sharks will roll their eyes back to protect them from injury.
Tiger sharks are found throughout temperate and tropical seas globally. They can grow up to 3.6 meters long and are responsible for more unprovoked attacks on humans than any other shark species, second only to great white sharks.
Experts state that sharks typically only attack humans when they are confused or curious. For example, they may see a swimmer in the water and mistake them for a seal or a large fish.
Experts also note that humans pose more of a risk to sharks than sharks do to us, and tiger sharks are frequently hunted for their fins, meat, and oil.
