A filmmaker in the Philippines had his camera at the ready at the perfect moment to catch a thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) clearing the surface of the water in an incredible breach.
“Thresher sharks are among the few sharks that breach, using their powerful tails to propel themselves completely out of the water,” says Boogs Rosales who caught the remarkable moment on film in Kimud Shoal, Leyte, in the Philippines. In this region, off Malapascua Island, scuba diving tourism supports the entire community.
“While there are many theories as to why they do this, one likely reason is to dislodge stubborn parasites, often doing it multiple times in a row,” he says.
Other sharks species that breach include great whites (Carcharodon carcharias), blue sharks (Prionace glauca) and basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus).
Scientists don’t fully understand why sharks and rays propel themselves out of the water like this. To study breaching, researchers need to observe or film the behaviour, which is very hard to do.
“Breaches are rare and unpredictable, often occurring only once or a few times within a short period,” Guy Stevens at the Manta Trust told New Scientist.
Stevens co-authored a paper exploring why sharks and rays leap from the water into the air. The study suggests that other possible reasons could include communication, courtship, herding or stunning prey, or even to help the birthing process.
Image and video credit: Boogs Rosales, @boogsrosales
More incredible wildlife videos from around the world
- What on Earth is a puggle?
- It’s snowing underwater? How in the great depths of the ocean there's a constant blizzard of snow
- Camera traps just caught this beaver farting on a quiet riverbank in England
- “Utterly spectacular”: incredibly rare 'pack ice' killer whale filmed swimming in Antarctic snow
- Giant 'phantom' animal filmed swimming over the seafloor in Antarctica
