One of our favorite Hawaii beaches had an unusual visitor Saturday. A 10 foot long tiger shark was spotted about 600 feet off shore at Kaimana Beach, pictured above, which is on the Diamond head side of Honolulu. That occurred just before noon. No one was hurt and the shark was not seen again. Warning signs posted were subsequently removed. While rare at Waikiki Beaches, it’s a good warning that shark sightings can occur anywhere in Hawaii.
Hawaii tiger shark tagging.
At the same time, UH Manoa marine biologists recently tagged six additional tiger sharks off Maui. This comes as a response to increased shark attacks off the Valley Isle. Researchers hope to determine more about their behavioral patterns to prevent incidents, especially off South Maui. Dorsal-fin mounted satellite transmitters now monitor the movements of nearly two dozen tiger sharks in Hawaii.
Sharks play a crucial role in maintaining the health of marine environments.
One third of all shark species are threatened or near threatened. They also figure prominently in Hawaiian mythology. It’s unlikely you will experience a shark attack on your Hawaii vacation. The odds are 1 in 11.5 million.
If you’d like to learn more, including seeing where issues have occurred, you can check out the University of Hawaii’s tiger shark page.
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