1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:06,320 NARRATOR: Around the world, crocodiles and alligators are on the move, 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:11,040 heading out to sea and deep into shark territory. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,200 From mysterious severed heads. 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,120 NEALE: You can see where the shark's actually bitten it. 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,440 NARRATOR: To ambush attacks. 8 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,560 MIKE: Oh man. This is incredible. 9 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,880 NARRATOR: What happens when two of the deadliest 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,560 predators on the planet, go head-to-head? 11 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:44,880 The Everglades, Florida, a vast tropical wetland, 12 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:49,600 crisscrossed by a network of swamps, channels and rivers. 13 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,560 And an unlikely mecca for sharks. 14 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,480 MIKE: When you think about the Everglades, you don't really think about sharks, 15 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:07,080 but every year we get adults of Bull sharks, Lemon sharks, and Blacktip sharks, 16 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,880 coming here to have their young, because it's such 17 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:13,280 a great place for those baby sharks to grow up. 18 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:16,360 NARRATOR: Dr. Mike Heithaus has been studying 19 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,880 the predators here for almost 20 years. 20 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,320 He discovered young sharks can spend the first four years of their lives 21 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:31,120 hunting for small fish in the web of mangrove roots that line these waterways. 22 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,560 MIKE: As the tide goes down and there's less space to hide, 23 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:38,320 those fish have to come into the channel 24 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,040 and that's where the sharks have a really good chance of catching them. 25 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,520 But, they're not the only predators in town. 26 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,720 NARRATOR: Alligators also stalk these mangroves. 27 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,560 Able to hold their breath for over 30 minutes, they move silently through the water, 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,680 barely creating a ripple. 29 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,720 Feeding on everything from fish to small mammals. 30 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,920 But do they also have a taste for sharks? 31 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,160 In recent years, members of the public 32 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,360 have captured glimpses of shark gator clashes, 33 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:27,720 in the brackish borderlands that separate Florida's fresh and saltwater systems. 34 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,840 MIKE: We usually think of sharks as saltwater creatures and alligators 35 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:37,560 as freshwater creatures and they should never interact, but it's not that simple. 36 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:40,880 These sharks can come up and live in almost entirely fresh water 37 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,480 and alligators can survive where there's a fair bit of salt in the water. 38 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,680 My hunch is that these animals run into each other more often than we'd think. 39 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,200 Are they competitors or this predator versus prey? 40 00:02:58,280 --> 00:02:59,720 And who's the predator? 41 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,000 NARRATOR: As dusk falls, the team prepares 42 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,720 for a groundbreaking tagging operation. 43 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,800 Their mission for the first time ever, 44 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,840 to put cameras on the backs of sharks and gators 45 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:19,520 in the suspected predator battleground. 46 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:25,360 As a thermal drone helps looks for gators from above. 47 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,720 MIKE: Jack, what you got? Point it directly at one, yeah. 48 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,920 NARRATOR: The team begins to explore a series of narrow channels 49 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,760 that carve through the shark nursery. 50 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,480 Gators are easier to spot at night. 51 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:42,840 Their eyes contain guanine crystals which reflect light back off the retina, 52 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,320 that gives them the effects of night vision. 53 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,880 But under flashlight, their eyes glow bright red. 54 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,920 HUNTER: There's one, there's one. Up on the left, left. 55 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:54,920 MIKE: That's a big one. Oh, he's down. 56 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,080 See him? 57 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,840 Oh, I think I got it! Yes, yes! Cut the ropes, cut the ropes. 58 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:11,360 NARRATOR: As the team wrestles the six-foot gator alongside the boat, 59 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:12,760 they need to be careful. 60 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,840 Alligators are armed with up to 80 teeth. 61 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,600 MIKE: Close that now, please. Just close it a bit. 62 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,440 NARRATOR: With a bite force of over 2000 pounds per square inch, 63 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,920 their jaws are nearly twice as powerful as a Bull shark. 64 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,360 MIKE: There, perfect. Very nice. 65 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,720 So, the impressive thing about alligator jaws 66 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,720 is they've got tons of force to close 'em, 67 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,800 but not a lot to open 'em, so five or six wraps of this tape 68 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,040 and it will not be able to open those jaws, 69 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,600 which makes it safer for the alligator and definitely us. 70 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:57,680 NARRATOR: As the team drags 150 pounds of angry alligator onto the boat. 71 00:04:57,760 --> 00:04:59,880 There's a shocking discovery. 72 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:05,200 MIKE: Oh, look at that! Look at his tail or lack thereof. 73 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:10,720 NARRATOR: He's missing over a foot of tail. 74 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,080 Has this potential shark hunter, become shark prey? 75 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,320 Male alligators are highly territorial and regularly clash. 76 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,880 They can lose limbs and tails to these violent attacks. 77 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,720 But sharks are more than capable of inflicting similar wounds. 78 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,440 The team decides on a name. 79 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,000 HUNTER: I think Stumpy. 80 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,880 MIKE: Stumpy. He looks pretty fat and happy. HUNTER: Yeah. 81 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,000 MIKE: Not having any trouble getting dinner. 82 00:05:55,080 --> 00:06:00,320 NARRATOR: Next, they ready the state-of-the-art camera system, Gator Cam. 83 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:05,040 Armed with depth, accelerometer, GPS and temperature sensors. 84 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:11,920 For the next 24 hours, it will record every move Stumpy make. 85 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,800 MIKE: That looks pretty good. 86 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,040 NARRATOR: If he has a run in with a shark, it will be caught on camera. 87 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:19,640 MIKE: Cool? HUNTER: Yep. 88 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:20,720 MIKE: Clear. 89 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,000 Yes! Yes! Woo! 90 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:28,000 HUNTER: Yeah! 91 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:31,960 MIKE: Yes! 92 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,200 NARRATOR: For the first time ever, we're riding on the back 93 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:44,720 of an alligator as it moves through the Everglades. 94 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,320 Hugging the edge of the mangroves, Stumpy moves north, 95 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,800 just beneath the surface, at a steady speed of two miles per hour. 96 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:03,320 With pressure sensitive cells around his jaw that detect the slightest movement, 97 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,720 he's perfectly designed to hunt in these murky waters. 98 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:15,720 But how do gators like Stumpy, with a burst speed of just 20 miles per hour, 99 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,360 catch faster and more agile sharks? 100 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,760 Footage captured by a member of the public in South Carolina, 101 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,080 provides an important clue. 102 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:30,680 FEMALE: He is not playing. 103 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,840 MIKE: So, this victim is a Bonnethead shark, 104 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,400 you can tell right away from the shape of the head, 105 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,640 and they are a member of the Hammerhead family 106 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,880 and, you know, from the size of it, 107 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:44,840 you could say that's probably a three and a half 108 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,080 or four foot long shark, so that's an adult. 109 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,600 Bonnetheads are one of the species that we would expect to run 110 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:53,480 into alligators fairly often. 111 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,920 They live in shallow water, sometimes close to mangroves 112 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,000 and also where it's really murky. 113 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,800 But they're not an easy meal for a gator, 114 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:08,320 having that head helps them be super maneuverable, they can turn on a dime. 115 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:14,160 An alligator is not gonna be able to chase down and catch a Bonnethead, 116 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:18,160 but if that gator is lying motionless on the bottom and the shark swims along, 117 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,720 a lightning-fast strike and the gator gets a meal. 118 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,640 NARRATOR: Most of the victims photographed by the public 119 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:35,080 were struck from below on the abdomen, they were ambushed. 120 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:37,280 MIKE: You could see that these gators are able 121 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,480 to catch sharks that are three and a half, four feet long 122 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:42,560 or even a bit bigger, I mean, look at the size of that nurse shark, 123 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,280 relative to that alligator. 124 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,880 These are smash and grab killers and evolution 125 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,040 has honed those techniques over millions of years. 126 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:58,880 But what happens when they run into a much bigger shark? Who comes out on top? 127 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:06,120 REPORTER: Alligators had people scurrying for sand today in Collier County. 128 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:10,600 FWC officers told people, "Get out of the water." 129 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:13,880 NARRATOR: In recent years, there have been growing reports of America's 130 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,000 gators entering the ocean. 131 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,760 One was even spotted circling an offshore oil platform, 132 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,720 some 40 miles from the Louisiana mainland. 133 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:29,320 Like most crocodilians, alligators are freshwater creatures, 134 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,760 if they spend too much time in salt water they dehydrate and die. 135 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:39,520 So why are they heading out to sea and how are they doing it? 136 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,120 MIKE: The good news for most alligators is that they're fairly big, 137 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,400 so they can go out to the ocean, slowly take salt into their body, 138 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,840 it's a bit stressful, but then they can move back up to freshwater 139 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,360 and kind of flush their bodies out and reset. 140 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,600 So, some of the alligators we watch are commuters, they'll go out to the ocean, 141 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:00,320 then they'll come back. 142 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,880 Now if you're an alligator why would you go to all that stress? 143 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:05,720 It's pretty simple, food. 144 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:16,520 When you look at these coastal systems, there's just a ton of life, 145 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,360 here in South Florida that's especially true. 146 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,960 The further downstream you move and out into those coastal oceans, 147 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:26,080 there's a lot more food than up at the rivers. 148 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:31,760 NARRATOR: But out at sea, it's not just dehydration the gators need to worry about. 149 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:36,920 The coast around Florida is home to some of the biggest sharks on Earth. 150 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:41,240 Bulls, Hammerheads, Tigers and even White sharks all patrol this rich coastline. 151 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:49,880 So, what happens when a big gator and a big shark clash? 152 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:56,320 The discovery of a severed croc head in South Africa could hold the answer. 153 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:09,640 Saint Lucia beach, South Africa, 2013. 154 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:14,480 As Neale and Brigitte Cary-Smith take their daily walk along the beach, 155 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:17,240 they spot a strange shape on the shoreline. 156 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,200 NEALE: At first, we thought it was a log because a lot of 157 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,280 debris floats down the estuary which runs into the sea. 158 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:36,160 But about 30 meters away, I realized that it was a crocodile head. 159 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,600 NARRATOR: Turning their camera on, they carefully approach. 160 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:47,720 NEALE: Look how big that thing is. 161 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,680 As we got closer, we realized just how big this head was. 162 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:00,720 It was absolutely enormous. 163 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,040 BRIGITTE: Just come stand closer, my darling, just so people can see the size. 164 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,800 Put your hand on its head. 165 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:15,720 It's estimated to be in the region of about a 120, uh, pounds or so. 166 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:23,440 So, if that was the size of the head, imagine what the size of the crocodile was. 167 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,040 It was just very exciting, and we just realized 168 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,680 we had come across something quite special. 169 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:39,560 NARRATOR: Like their alligator cousin, Nile crocodiles are freshwater predators. 170 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:43,680 More at home ambushing wildebeest, than moving through the waves. 171 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:53,760 So, what was this croc doing out in the ocean? And what killed it? 172 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,640 NEALE: The more I inspected the head, the more I saw 173 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:04,280 that there were teeth marks on the side of it. 174 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:05,840 BRIGITTE: And being a deep-sea fisherman, 175 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:08,600 he's sorts of quite knowledgeable about that kind of thing 176 00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:11,040 and he said to me, "That's definitely a shark cut." 177 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,160 Something must have happened, some drama unfolded here. 178 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,680 NEALE: You can see where the shark's actually bitten it. 179 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:21,440 There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that that was a shark 180 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,920 that had bitten that crocodile, none whatsoever. 181 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,720 NARRATOR: The wild waters of South Africa are world famous for sharks. 182 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:43,520 Tigers, Bulls, Bronze Whalers and White sharks all patrol Saint Lucia's shoreline. 183 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:50,240 But could one of them really have taken on the huge Nile crocodile? 184 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,920 Mike Heithaus is a world leading expert in marine predators. 185 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,760 He's convinced sharks, crocs and gators 186 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:06,480 could be clashing far more regularly than we ever realized. 187 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:08,880 MIKE: Looking from the size of this head, 188 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,920 this was a big croc, I mean probably over 10 feet long 189 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,320 and it raises a lot of mysteries like what was it doing out at sea? 190 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:21,000 And how did it end up a head on a beach? 191 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:28,840 This is a map showing where that severed head was found, and when we zoom in here, 192 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:33,640 what you can is that it wasn't too far away from two really major river systems. 193 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:35,960 So, it's possible that the crocodile died 194 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,920 in the river system and the head floated out 195 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,920 or it could have come into these coastal waters to feed 196 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,320 because those are really rich waters. 197 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,200 Now, there are White sharks in this part of the world, 198 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:52,240 but White sharks don't tend to be in those super shallow turbid waters 199 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,160 where you might find crocs and gators, 200 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:58,480 but it could also be a really big Tiger shark or a Bull shark. 201 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,720 And the Bull sharks in this part of the world do get really, really big. 202 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,480 They're one of the few species of sharks that will 203 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,920 tangle with animals close to their own body size. 204 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,400 So yeah, if any shark's gonna go after a bigger crocodile, 205 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,040 Bull sharks are definitely on that list 206 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,720 and those big Bull sharks do go up into these river systems. 207 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,960 NARRATOR: Just as at home in freshwater as salt water, 208 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,240 Bull sharks have a unique adaptation 209 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,760 in their kidneys and livers which allow them to thrive in both environments. 210 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,760 MIKE: They're famous for being in turbid murky waters 211 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,480 and that suite of sensory systems they have 212 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,160 helps them zero in on their prey. 213 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,200 NARRATOR: But could they really take down a huge Nile croc? 214 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,360 MIKE: Bull sharks when they get really big do have the teeth to get through it, 215 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,880 but it might be a pretty big effort, you know, 216 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:02,200 and that's one thing when you look at that head, 217 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,880 if a Bull shark had done that and the croc was struggling, 218 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,800 I would have expected a lot more slashes and cuts, 219 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:10,720 it wouldn't be a clean bite through, 220 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,400 they would not be able to get through that skin just in one bite. 221 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:22,080 Tiger sharks are really different predators, their teeth are curved and serrated, 222 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:23,680 they are built for cutting. 223 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,280 One of their favorite foods is sea turtles 224 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,120 and they can cut straight through the shell of a turtle. 225 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,760 You know, they've got this reputation of being the garbage cans 226 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,680 of the sea and I guess it's fairly well earned, 227 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,400 I mean, you know, they are the consummate scavenger, 228 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,320 but in the areas where there's lots of prey, 229 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,200 they can also be impressive predators. 230 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,520 They can eat big prey, they can cut through 231 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:50,840 something tough like the hide of an alligator, 232 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,760 so could a Tiger shark eat an alligator or crocodile? 233 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,680 If they ran into one, yes, they could. 234 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:05,640 But, without that severed head here in front of me, it's impossible to say if sharks 235 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,160 removed the head from that crocodile. 236 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:09,560 Was it poached? 237 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,080 Did this croc die and then something eat it? 238 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,720 Big boat propellor, there are lots of things that could have happened here. 239 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:18,000 This raises a lot more questions than answers. 240 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,080 NARRATOR: Four years later, Saint Lucia estuary 241 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,080 provides the backdrop for another even more 242 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,040 dramatic shark croc confrontation. 243 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:33,360 CASPER: The shark is just in front of the crocodile. 244 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:42,080 Did you see that? 245 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,360 NARRATOR: Wildlife guide, Casper Badenhorst, 246 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,880 is birdwatching along South Africa's St. Lucia river mouth 247 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,200 when he spots something strange in the water. 248 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:56,760 CASPER: It was a perfect day, it was no wind, it was quiet, 249 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:01,480 the water was flat and that's when I noticed something different. 250 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,560 I start seeing this shark fin and getting bigger 251 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,440 and coming out of the water and eventually 252 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:11,680 the tail of the shark and I knew this can be nothing else than a shark. 253 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,760 NARRATOR: Grabbing his camera, Casper begins filming. 254 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:21,680 CASPER: And as I videoed the shark, from the corner of my eye, 255 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,600 I was starting to see a crocodile swimming towards the shark. 256 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:31,160 A crocodile. A crocodile is going to the shark. 257 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,360 The crocodile was twice the length of the shark. 258 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:39,280 You could see his aim was to get the shark and to take it down. 259 00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:42,760 (inaudible) 260 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:44,920 The crocodile was edging closer. 261 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:48,120 The shark is just in front of the crocodile. 262 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,920 There was a big splash and for a few seconds we couldn't see, 263 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,360 you know, what happened. The shark went under. 264 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:06,200 But then a few seconds later, the shark emerged and just keep on swimming. 265 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,800 This crocodile was clearly going for the shark, 266 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:17,440 going to have as his next meal and so the shark was lucky to get away. 267 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:21,680 MIKE: Oh man, this is incredible, 268 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,360 I mean, you just don't see footage like this. 269 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:29,600 You can see by the way the crocodile is shifting its body, 270 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,800 it's aware of that shark from pretty far away, 271 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:34,920 and even though it's aware of it, 272 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,640 it's not really starting to chase it, 273 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:39,200 it's just slowly kind of turning its body 274 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,960 and moving to be on an interception course. 275 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,280 Then it waits until it's really close and it makes that last 276 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:51,720 super powered kind of lunge swim to try to get the shark. 277 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,080 That's a predator trying to get a meal. 278 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,400 The shark doesn't look that much smaller than the crocodile 279 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,320 and so you'd think they'd be fairly 280 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,760 evenly matched, but the crocodile just doesn't care at all and, I mean, 281 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:10,160 if you think about crocodiles, they are really good at getting big prey, I mean, 282 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,800 zebra, wildebeest, they don't care that it's a shark. 283 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:15,440 So, you know, this starts to ask that question, 284 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,080 what happens when they're more evenly matched? 285 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,720 If the crocodile is in position, it's gonna have a shot. 286 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,800 NARRATOR: Back in the Everglades, the investigation 287 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:34,040 into the suspected shark gator battleground heats up. 288 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:37,320 MIKE: Clear! 289 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,680 NARRATOR: With the camera tag successfully deployed 290 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,920 on a big adult male gator called Stumpy, 291 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,760 MIKE: Yes! Yes! 292 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,040 NARRATOR: the team's attention now turns to sharks. 293 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,520 Setting a series of baited lines across the bay, 294 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,000 it's not long before they get their first bite. 295 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:57,000 MIKE: Hey shark. 296 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:06,320 That is bite size for a big gator. 297 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,720 NARRATOR: It's a Bull shark and at four feet long, a juvenile. 298 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,920 A miniature camera tag prepped, within minutes the 299 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,280 shark is released back into the battle zone. 300 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,280 MIKE: Yes! MAN: Woo! 301 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:28,880 MIKE: Good job. MAN: Good work. 302 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,560 MIKE: I mean that was amazing, you know, 303 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,920 for a shark in the trip and it was the perfect size 304 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,280 for the camera and that's a really cool size 305 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:38,040 of Bull shark in this area because it's small enough 306 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,880 that it could get eaten by a really big gator, 307 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:44,720 but it's big enough that baby gators could be on the menu for that. 308 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,560 Oh, aren't they cute? 309 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:50,080 NARRATOR: Over the next few hours, five more Bulls are caught, 310 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,920 and tiny acoustic transmitters inserted inside their bodies. 311 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,800 The data they collect could change our understanding of how these sharks survive 312 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,080 in such dangerous waters. 313 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:06,440 KRISTINE: So that tag has a Pinger essentially that sets off at a certain frequency, 314 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:12,200 roughly every 90 seconds, and all across the bay we have acoustic receivers 315 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,200 which are just these listening devices that will pick up those pings, 316 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,520 so that we can essentially track the Bull shark's movements 317 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,360 throughout the bay as it's passing each of those receivers. 318 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,560 NARRATOR: Will their movements overlap with Stumpy, the alligator? 319 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:30,760 And will the camera tags capture the first underwater footage of a clash? 320 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,760 If it does, it will be a world first. 321 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:35,640 MIKE: If you go that way, there are alligators, 322 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,360 that way, there are alligators and here we are with Bull sharks 323 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,240 all over the place. 324 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,480 So, it really shows this is the collision zone for these two big predators. 325 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:53,440 NARRATOR: As the team waits for their camera tags to pop off, 326 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:56,360 the investigation heads to Maryland, 327 00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:01,880 where new research suggests shark gator conflicts have been taking place here 328 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:03,680 for millions of years. 329 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,680 And the sharks sometimes come out on top. 330 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,680 STEPHEN: A professional collector came to visit me, 331 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,080 his name is Dougie Douglas and he's well known in the area 332 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,080 for collecting fossils from along Calvert Cliffs. 333 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,600 And he came to my office with this coprolite. 334 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,280 Now a coprolite is the technical term that we give 335 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:33,440 to fossilized feces and we think that this 336 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,080 kind of coprolite came originally from a crocodile. 337 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,120 But when he first showed it to me, 338 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,800 I just could not believe what my eyes were seeing because 339 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:54,800 there are tooth impressions along both surfaces, deep ones on this flattened side, 340 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:59,840 but more shallow ones on this convex side and it's really clear that 341 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:02,840 these tooth impressions were actually made by a shark. 342 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,160 NARRATOR: 23 million years ago, ancient sharks 343 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:20,160 and crocodiles roamed this coastline hunting for prey like turtles. 344 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,880 But did they also prey on each other? 345 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:32,000 Stephen is convinced this fossil holds the answer. 346 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:39,040 STEPHEN: I thought to myself, "If I take a liquid molding, I'll be able to see hopefully 347 00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:45,560 the shape of the teeth that penetrated into the coprolite." 348 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,800 Now, one of the amazing things about sharks 349 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:52,120 is that you can almost always identify the species of shark 350 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,400 by the shape of the tooth. 351 00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:01,400 And by looking at the natural cast, 352 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:05,000 I was able to determine that these teeth came from 353 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,040 one of the extinct kinds of Tiger sharks that we find along Calvert Cliffs. 354 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,320 NARRATOR: The culprit is identified. 355 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:19,080 But one mystery remains. How were the teeth marks made? 356 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,120 STEPHEN: So, when I noticed that the shark tooth impressions 357 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:30,280 did not equally penetrate into the coprolite, 358 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:33,240 I wondered why that was? 359 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,880 Because if the shark had bitten the feces and they had been floating in the water, 360 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:39,520 I would have expected the teeth in the upper and lower jaws 361 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:44,160 to have equally penetrated into the fresh feces. 362 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:48,920 I realized that maybe the feces were not outside the body of the crocodile, 363 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,720 but still within the abdominal cavity and that's why the teeth 364 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,440 had not equally penetrated both sides of the coprolite. 365 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,840 That when the shark ploughed into the abdomen, 366 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:06,880 its teeth penetrated one side further than the other, 367 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,280 this then came detached from the rest of the crocodile's body, 368 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:13,920 sank to the bottom of the ocean, was entombed by sediments 369 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,160 and 15 million years later was found by Dougie Douglas. 370 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,800 Clearly, crocodilians, which are apex predators, 371 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,360 and sharks, which are also apex predators, 372 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:26,200 have been clashing for millions of years. 373 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,680 NARRATOR: Could modern day sharks take down a crocodile? 374 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,640 MIKE: I mean, this is really incredible. 375 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,240 NARRATOR: The investigation heads down under, in search of answers. 376 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,560 The Northern Territory, Australia. 377 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:57,600 Home to the biggest crocodilians on Earth, saltwater crocs. 378 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:02,720 In the rivers here, salties rule supreme. 379 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:10,000 Bulls, Sawfish, and Spear tooth sharks all patrol these waterways. 380 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:15,880 But they're no match for the salties, which can reach 20 feet in length. 381 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:21,200 In recent years, clash after clash has been recorded along these rivers. 382 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,360 With crocs coming out on top every single time. 383 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:34,480 Ten percent of the river sharks have scars from attacks. 384 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,680 Hunted to near extinction in the 1960s, 385 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,760 in recent years salty numbers have been exploding. 386 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:49,680 Now, up to 200,000 live in Northern Australian. 387 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:55,720 And running out of space in the rivers, they're heading out to sea. 388 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,360 MIKE: Saltwater crocodiles are the champions of the crocodile world 389 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:07,840 when it comes to spending time in the ocean, 390 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,800 and it's because they can get rid of the salt so well, 391 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:14,920 they have salt glands on their tongue, they keep pumping that salt out of there. 392 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:16,960 You know, it's not uncommon for them to make movements 393 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,440 of more than 100 kilometers out to sea 394 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:25,720 and that's one of the reasons that they've spread over such a big area. 395 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:30,240 NARRATOR: But despite their ability to spend several weeks in salt water, 396 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:36,080 growing evidence suggests they might not be as dominant over sharks here in the ocean. 397 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,560 Alan Withers lives and works in one of Australia's 398 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:44,320 most remote areas, the Cobourg Peninsula. 399 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:50,200 ALAN: We can go for two, three months without seeing other people, 400 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,840 we're cut off around four months a year, 401 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:58,320 during the wet season, by rivers which are impassable. 402 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:02,440 NARRATOR: While people are thin on the ground, turtles are not. 403 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:06,840 Throughout the year, they head to the peninsula's 404 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:09,440 isolated beaches to lay their eggs. 405 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:17,520 And the coastal crocodiles take full advantage. 406 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,880 ALAN: The crocodiles troll the beaches, 407 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,240 just waiting for a turtle to come up and nest, 408 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:28,600 and bang, gotcha. 409 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:41,960 NARRATOR: In 2016, Alan captured something extraordinary. 410 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,840 ALAN: We'd seen a crocodile a fair way offshore 411 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:52,080 heading towards the beach with the turtle in its mouth. 412 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,480 So, I put the drone up and sent it out. 413 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:05,400 NARRATOR: His footage was a first. 414 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:10,920 The croc was being tailed by a pack of sharks. 415 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:17,000 ALAN: They were pretty much onto it straightaway, they come in like bullets. 416 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,720 NARRATOR: As the croc tries to flee with the turtle in its mouth, 417 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:26,240 more and more sharks arrive including a large Tawny Nurse shark. 418 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,600 ALAN: And the big Tawny sharks and the Blacktips 419 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:32,400 were actually swimming up beside him and 420 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,720 nipping chunks off it while it was in the crocodile's mouth. 421 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:41,960 By the time the crocodile got to the beach, 422 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,560 all it had left was literally an empty shell. 423 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:50,600 The sharks had stolen the lot. 424 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,880 NARRATOR: Incredibly this clash between packs of sharks 425 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,960 and huge saltwater crocodiles is not a one off. 426 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:14,000 ALAN: It's a regular event, whenever a large crocodile catches a turtle, 427 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:17,120 there's certainly a percentage of body fluid 428 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,640 and blood in the water which attracts the sharks 429 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,920 and, indeed, pretty much most times that we've seen large crocodiles with turtles, 430 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:29,040 the sharks, they're present for an easy meal, ripping bits off as it goes. 431 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:36,400 MIKE: So, yeah, this footage shows just how complex 432 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,560 the relationship between sharks and crocs can be. 433 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,600 It's not just about who eats who, 434 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,600 this shows that sharks might actually take advantage of crocodiles, 435 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,840 none of those sharks on their own, 436 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,760 could really match up one on one with that crocodile. 437 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,600 But with those numbers, you know, in that ocean realm, 438 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,800 where they've got lots of space to maneuver, 439 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,800 the croc's got no chance if it wants to try to keep its meal, 440 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:04,520 'cause as soon as it, you know, looks at one shark, another one comes in. 441 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,880 But while this footage is unique, and I would bet that this kind of interaction 442 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,480 is happening a lot more often than we think because 443 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,080 sharks are kind of the ultimate opportunists, 444 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:16,920 and a free meal is not something they'll pass up. 445 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,880 NARRATOR: Across the mangroves and twisted waterways 446 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:24,960 of Rookery Bay in the Everglades, 447 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:28,000 a unique experiment is coming to an end. 448 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:35,120 For the past 24 hours, camera tags record every move 449 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:37,120 alligators and Bull sharks make 450 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,400 in the suspected shark gator battleground. 451 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,360 KRISTINE: Alright, it's like a lot louder over there. 452 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,080 NARRATOR: Now released, they're emitting a weak VHF signal 453 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,000 the team is using to zero in on their location. 454 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:57,360 KRISTINE: Woo! We did it. 455 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:02,560 NARRATOR: And the data inside shows Stumpy striking to kill. 456 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:08,080 MIKE: Oh man. 457 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:11,840 NARRATOR: Back at base, Mike analyses Stumpy's data. 458 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:13,880 MIKE: This is super cool, I mean, this is the first time 459 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,960 we've been able to put a camera on an alligator in these coastal 460 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:21,360 Everglades waters, you know, there's just so much we're gonna 461 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,960 be able to learn by getting this window into their world. 462 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:31,360 NARRATOR: Stumpy spends most of the night hugging the edge of the mangroves 463 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:33,520 and resting at the surface. 464 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:35,640 MIKE: But then at about 2:45 in the morning, 465 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:39,680 things change, and he goes into hunting mode. 466 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:53,440 You see him a couple of times make these big lunges to try to catch something. 467 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:02,880 You can also see in one of these, 468 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,960 a fish swim into the frame and then as it swims out, 469 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:11,160 Stumpy makes a big lunge to try to catch it as it's swimming away. 470 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:17,840 And alligators have these sensors called dome pressure sensors on their snout, 471 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:20,680 and those sense vibrations in the water. 472 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,880 So that fish swimming by would have triggered those 473 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:26,560 and he just lunged to try to catch it. 474 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,880 You can see from that speed, if a little Bull shark got too close, 475 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:32,720 Stumpy could catch it. 476 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,120 NARRATOR: GPS coordinates from Stumpy's tag 477 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:40,880 reveal exactly where and when he was hunting. 478 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,280 At two in the morning, he moves out into the canal 479 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,800 and his movements become a lot more purposeful 480 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,120 as he moves upstream looking for prey. 481 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:55,000 MIKE: You know, why did that change happen? We don't know. 482 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:59,080 I mean, maybe that's it's favorite hunting time and hunting ground. 483 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,920 But then, you know, as we get onto six thirty in the morning, 484 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,400 unfortunately something else happened. 485 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:08,520 The camera and the GPS stopped working, 486 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,520 but luckily the depth sensor and the accelerometer 487 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:16,680 kept on going and the data we got from those is really intriguing. 488 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:23,240 So, this graph is showing us the depth where Stumpy is spending time, 489 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:27,160 and the yellow shows us how fast it's moving. 490 00:35:27,240 --> 00:35:30,800 Things change when the sun comes up, Stumpy's going down 491 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:33,160 to the bottom and just being completely 492 00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:36,680 motionless for long periods of time, maybe 20 minutes or more. 493 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:41,640 And then you have these quick bursts up, 494 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:44,640 where he changes the depth and you see that kind of 495 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:48,720 explosive speed, which could be him lunging at prey 496 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:52,000 and that's kind of what we'd expect for a sit and wait predator, 497 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:53,720 especially during the day. 498 00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:01,160 NARRATOR: It's a unique insight into how gators ambush their prey 499 00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:05,560 and are able to bring down faster and more agile sharks. 500 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:13,720 MIKE: So, here's what we think is going on, those alligators are lying in wait, 501 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:18,920 their dark skin probably blends in with the habitat around them. 502 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:24,200 And then when something like a shark swims over the top, they detect it, 503 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,920 they can burst up from the bottom with that powerful tail 504 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,720 and grab that shark on the soft underbelly 505 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:33,040 before it even knows the alligator is there. 506 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:35,840 And, you know, that's really the only way these gators 507 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,040 are gonna be able to catch sharks 508 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,800 that are faster and more agile than they are. 509 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:50,680 NARRATOR: Footage from sharkcam reveals just how hard it is 510 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:54,160 for sharks to spot the gators in these murky waters. 511 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,760 MIKE: You can see that the visibility is terrible, 512 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,520 and this is really typical of the waters 513 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,640 that these Bull sharks are inhabiting. 514 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:07,680 Virtually zero visibility, so they can't rely on 515 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:10,760 their eyes to find a meal or avoid predators 516 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,200 which can include big alligators. 517 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:16,840 NARRATOR: Despite the dangers, evidence from the acoustic tags 518 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:18,720 fitted inside the sharks, 519 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:22,920 shows just how close they come to gators on a daily basis. 520 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,520 MIKE: The baby Bull sharks are spending the majority of their time 521 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:27,960 in the mouth of the river here, 522 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,800 they're in these very shallow bays. 523 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,000 Occasionally though, they are going upstream and, in fact, 524 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:35,480 when we look at the monitors here, 525 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:38,920 there's a shark that hits them all pretty much every day, 526 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,640 and we know that alligators go 527 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:43,280 further down than Stumpy did, we've seen them right here 528 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,480 at the very base of the habitat, 529 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:48,800 where all of these sharks are spending a lot of time. 530 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,120 NARRATOR: The team may not have captured a clash on camera, 531 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,120 but it's groundbreaking evidence 532 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:58,040 that the Everglades is a shark croc battleground. 533 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:05,760 MIKE: Yeah look, when you see these tracks and you look at the data we've collected, 534 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:07,280 there's no question that Bull sharks 535 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,640 and alligators overlap a ton and that's why we're 536 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:12,600 starting to see more and more pictures 537 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,680 and videos come in from around the world of crocodiles 538 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:19,080 and alligators that have eaten sharks. 539 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:23,120 NARRATOR: But do meetings always end in confrontation? 540 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:26,920 Back in Australia, the death of a whale brings a ten-foot 541 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:31,840 shark and a 13-foot croc face to face. 542 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:41,880 Around the world, evidence of crocs and gators clashing with sharks is on the rise. 543 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:46,920 In Florida, research shows their territories overlap 544 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,680 and sharks sometimes end up on the gator menu. 545 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:55,560 In South Africa, Nile crocodiles attack Bull sharks 546 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:59,440 and mysterious severed heads wash up on beaches. 547 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:03,480 And off the coast of Australia, sharks use their strength 548 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:07,200 in numbers to mock crocs and steal their food. 549 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:15,040 Now, remarkable new evidence suggests shark croc encounters 550 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:17,880 might not always end in confrontation. 551 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:23,760 The Kimberley Coast, Western Australia. 552 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:27,640 Jeremy Tucker is skippering a whale spotting cruise 553 00:39:27,720 --> 00:39:30,120 when he comes across the body of a huge 554 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:34,320 50 foot Humpback floating four miles from the coast. 555 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:38,720 JEREMY: We realized that it was upside down and just floating, 556 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:41,800 so we went over to the whale, 557 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:46,680 and we realized that there was a few sharks feeding on it. 558 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:52,040 And as we got closer, we realized that they were Tiger sharks 559 00:39:52,120 --> 00:39:56,040 and there was a couple of really big ones. 560 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:58,400 NARRATOR: Around the world, the death of the whale 561 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,720 often triggers a shark feeding frenzy. 562 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:08,600 Whale blubber is one of the most energy rich foods in the ocean. 563 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,560 Every pound contains over 3000 calories. 564 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:18,280 A single whale can attract over 200 sharks. 565 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:21,880 But today, the sharks have company. 566 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:26,320 JEREMY: I decided to put the drone up, 567 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:31,480 and there was a lot of bite marks out of the whale. 568 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:36,920 As we got closer, we realized that there was a croc there feeding on the whale. 569 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,600 It was really unique, and we all realized that. 570 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:43,920 He was probably about three meters long 571 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,720 and he wasn't fussed about the sharks around, 572 00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:50,400 he just did his own thing, and he was sort of trying 573 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:54,600 to sit on the pectoral fin and, and get a feed. 574 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:00,760 The bigger Tiger shark actually went underneath the whale 575 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:04,520 and sort of stayed in the shadows. 576 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:09,160 They didn't seem to be too worried about each other, I think the food was there 577 00:41:09,240 --> 00:41:11,480 and they had plenty to eat, so they were happy. 578 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,280 NARRATOR: For 45 minutes this unique footage shows 579 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:20,000 the two predators feeding on the huge whale carcass. 580 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,680 JEREMY: I think they were pretty full. 581 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:30,800 We noticed the Tiger shark swimming around and just having a bite, 582 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,440 and a little bit of a shake and then swimming off. 583 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:40,640 But there was no aggressiveness or there was no feeding 584 00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:42,320 frenzy or anything like that. 585 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,600 So obviously they had been feeding on that whale for a while. 586 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:50,000 NARRATOR: As Jeremy is about to leave, something extraordinary happens. 587 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:54,880 The croc and the shark begin feeding within inches of each other. 588 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:59,280 JEREMY: And when we first saw it, we seriously thought it was quite unique, I mean, 589 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:01,600 you just don't see that. 590 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,920 MIKE: I mean, this is incredible, I mean, 591 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,120 you know, sharks feeding from a whale carcass, 592 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:21,760 that's something you're used to seeing, but a crocodile? 593 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:24,960 Yeah, I've never seen that. 594 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:28,680 We usually think of crocs, gators and sharks 595 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,080 as the consummate predators, you know, 596 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:36,120 chasing or ambushing their prey, but they are not gonna pass up a free meal, 597 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:41,520 and they are amazing scavengers, and when you find a bonanza like a whale, 598 00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:43,560 these animals can fill their stomachs up 599 00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:46,040 and go many months without having to eat again. 600 00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:48,840 So, this is a real windfall for them. 601 00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:50,840 And when you've got this much food around, 602 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,080 you wouldn't expect there to be any aggressive interactions, 603 00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:56,480 the predatory instincts are put aside 604 00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,920 and it's all about just having a free meal. 605 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:03,200 But if you took that food source away, things could be very different. 606 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:10,720 Crocs and sharks are two amazing predator groups 607 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,680 that have been interacting for millions of years. 608 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:19,160 But in the 20th century their populations have plummeted. 609 00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:21,920 Now they're just starting to rebound 610 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,440 and we're seeing the interactions happen more often, 611 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:30,560 and there are more people out there filming and photographing it. 612 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:32,920 When you go up into the rivers and estuaries, 613 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:36,080 it looks like the crocs and gators reign supreme. 614 00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:42,760 They've got the size, they've got the burst speed, 615 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:45,920 you know, small sharks that live there, they can be on the menu. 616 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:53,960 But as you move out to the ocean, that is the shark's ground 617 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:55,920 and the sharks those gators and crocs run into 618 00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:58,800 are gonna probably be a lot bigger. 619 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:04,360 So, if I were a croc or a gator in the ocean, 620 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:06,360 I'd watch my back a bit more. 621 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:09,240 Captioned by SubTitlePro LLC