Aussie Diver, a regular writer on this blog, told us a few weeks ago about a dive being canceled as there were loads of “Bronzies” in the water at the dive site. So I decided I should research this creature so we all know what it was he was talking about.
The Bronze whaler grows to about 3.25 meters and fully grown, weighs in at a hefty 300 KG. They are found in The Atlantic, The Pacific, The Mediterranean and The Gulf of California. They don’t often wander inshore, and are migratory, travelling north in Spring and back south in autumn.
They feed on smaller fish, other sharks, rays and octopus and are voracious eaters. They are not known for aggressive behavior towards humans, but there have been many reported cases of bites, and the advice is not to approach them.
Their name comes from their coloring, which is a light brown or bronze color, and they usually have dusky to black fin tips. Their bellies are white and they have a pointed, sharp snout.
The Bronzie is a slow growing shark and there is a suggestion that the species is in quite heavy decline. Mothers give birth to between 7 to 20 pups, who are nursed in the early months and remain vulnerable for some time, with a high mortality rate.
Maybe also look at:
1/ Sharks!
Bronze Whaler
Looks bronze to me: http://tigershark.smugmug.com/gallery/6871455_ZbM59/1/439600247_comBc#54... Friend Trent Fischer shot this while we were freediving in blue water south of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii last week. I was not close enough for good vid. Although they seem to look a lot like Galapagos Sharks when in dimmer light. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Great Shots
Those are fantastic shots, Mark! And yes I think that is a Bronzie.
Scuba Mike
Which is what?
A Bronzie and the Galapagos sharks are very similar and its quite hard to distinguish between the two as they are distant cousins, in fact the Galapogos shark is very often known as a Grey Reef Whaler. The main difference is the colouring.
The Galapagos Shark has a Grey upper body with an off white underside, it also has a ridge running between both dorsal fins and lastly its tail has a black edge to it.
In contrast the Bronze Whaler range in colour from dark,almost golden brown to a dull grey on its back and sides. The Bronzie also has a ridge running between both dorsal fins but with no black edging to its tail.
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