CatersBaby shark do do do do do do, in a womb do do do do do do, in a womb do do do do do do, baby shark.
I’m sorry for getting that godforsaken tune stuck in your head, but it was really the only way to introduce a video of a baby shark wiggling around in a womb.
The footage shows the little creature thrashing ferociously, as if practising to become the perfect, fast-moving predator.
Check it out here:
The footage comes from an ultrasound which was conducted by team of experts studying shark conservation in Tiger Shark Bay in the Bahamas, while trying to determine why so many tiger sharks were swarming to a particular beach.
Though the researchers used state-of-the-art technology to capture the video, the baby shark is so good at wriggling around that it’s actually quite difficult to determine exactly where it is when looking at the video. It’s a bit of a Rachel from Friends situation, where you can easily lose the baby if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
CatersHowever, Oceana reports tiger sharks are already natural predators when they are born, and it’s clear to see their practice begins in the womb as there is the odd occasion when the little shark clearly snaps its jaws in the direction of the scanner, displaying its predatory nature and making for a very cool visual.
The team, led by shark expert Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, the Director of the Shark Research and Conversation Program at the University of Miami, and Dr. James Sulikowski, professor of Marine Biology at Arizona State University, managed to scan five sharks while out in the wild.
CatersThey caught the sharks while sailing through Tiger Shark Bay and held them close to the boat using straps. Dr. Sulikowski then used a portable ultrasound to scan the animals and studied the results in real-time on a VR style headset.
The footage gives a unique insight into a tiger shark’s pregnancy; something humans wouldn’t have if it weren’t for this kind of research.
Hopefully the little shark manages to keep its ferocious tendencies in check while in the womb; I can’t imagine it would be very pleasant for mother sharks to have their babies nipping at them from the inside.
The sooner the babies are free to thrash about in the ocean, the better!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.