You may be wondering, “What time do sharks feed?” Besides feeding at dusk and dawn, what is the best place to watch them? The Atlantic Ocean has a continental shelf larger than the Pacific, which helps it stay closer to shore. Sharks in this area generally feast close to shore on plankton and fish. Seals and fish can also be seen near the ocean’s shore. Read on to find out more!

Dusk and dawn

Most shark attacks occur between 8am and 6pm, on weekends during the warm season. The fact is that shark behaviour has little to do with their eating habits. Although sharks are most active during dusk and dawn, they can feed anytime. Female sharks do not eat during mating season. While it is important to stay away from shark-infested waters, there are certain precautions you should take.

Plankton

Whether you’ve ever wondered how sharks get their food, you’ll be intrigued by the question, “When do sharks feed on plankton?” Most marine animals are carnivorous, but planktivorous means that they feed on tiny creatures that are part of the ocean’s food web. Most types of sharks are planktivorous, and they feed on phytoplankton.

Fish

Generally, sharks feed in the early morning hours and late at night. However, there is some debate as to whether they feed at these times. Sharks are most active during the early morning hours and the late afternoon. The early morning hours and the evening hours are prime times to swim and see sharks. In fact, sharks may find swimmers more attractive during these times. In addition to these prime times, sharks are most active during the night.

Seals

When do sharks feed? You might be surprised to learn that some large sharks are active during the daytime but feed at night. Sharks are not nocturnal creatures, they feed when the sunlight is weak and their prey is easier to spot. They feed at night, but you should not swim around these areas if you want to avoid a shark attack. They also hunt during the day, but the best time to swim around them is during dusk or dawn.

Whale sharks

Scientists have long wondered when whale sharks feed. They spend much of their day in the surface waters. In order to find food, sharks use their olfactory lobes to smell chemical indicators in the water. For example, dimethyl sulfide is released by basking sharks and birds when they eat phytoplankton. It could be a clue to get a whale shark to a patch of plankton.

Unprovoked attacks

In 2010 alone, 79 people were killed by sharks, compared to 63 attacks in 2009. Among the victims of unprovoked attacks, 50 percent were swimmers or surfers. Another 8% were allegedly in an inner tube or inflatable raft. This was the most deadly year for unprovoked shark attacks since 2001, but the total number is still significantly lower than the average of 23.1 incidents over the past half century.

Prey identification mistakes

A common misconception about sharks is that they misidentify people as pinnipeds, and that they will attack you. This myth is not true; great white sharks do not misidentify people. While they have the visual acuity to spot people, they can mistake a human silhouette for a pinniped. When they realize their mistake, sharks will usually release their prey.