Tiger Shark

Photo: Kris-Mikael Krister · CC BY

Tiger sharks cruise the offshore waters around João Vieira between November and April, drawn by the concentration of sea turtles that nest on the island's beaches and the large aggregations of fish on the wall. They are generalist apex predators willing to consume virtually any prey including turtles, rays, fish, and cephalopods, and their pattern of blunt snout and distinctive dark stripes makes them unmistakable at range. Encounters at the wall are rare but documented, and the possibility of a passing tiger shark adds genuine large-pelagic excitement to every deep dive here.