Scalloped Hammerhead Shark

Photo: Bruno Mels · © all rights reserved

Scalloped hammerheads form schools of dozens to hundreds at Aldabra's channels, gathering along thermocline boundaries where temperature differentials concentrate prey. Their distinctive hammer-shaped cephalofoil dramatically increases the surface area of electroreceptive organs, allowing them to detect stingrays buried beneath sand at distances of over a metre. Populations here represent one of the last large aggregations in the Indian Ocean, making Aldabra critical for regional population viability.