Yet another San Diego celebrity! Sevengills technically have been seen year round in San Diego but are a much rarer find in deeper waters outside of the spring months. Pretty regularly in the past, we had a Sevengill “season” here in San Diego. In April and May they would come in shallow in larger groups for what is believed to be mating purposes. For reasons that can only be assumed to be related to El Nino the past few years, they seemed to disappear from that tradition… till this year! It was quite an exciting frenzy this past spring as we were seeing numbers of different sevengill sharks in shallow waters slowly cruising through La Jolla! It was such a thrilling sight to see these large prehistoric beauties by simply snorkeling!
The Sevengill Shark gets its name from the seven gill slits it has in comparison to 5 gill slits that most other sharks have. Its also known as a cow shark. When I say the look prehistoric, I’m not kidding! They are related to sharks that lived over 300 million years ago! They can be up to 10 feet long and have a lifespan that is estimated to be about 50 years. Sevengill sharks are skilled, opportunistic predators, capable of feeding on a variety of prey including many kinds of bony fish, dolphins, seals, other sharks, rays, and dead matter. They have sharp, jagged upper teeth useful for grasping moving prey. The large, comb-shaped teeth of the lower jaw are for tearing and cutting.
Any shark prints purchased will have a portion of proceeds donated to Afrioceans who focus on education initiatives to help save the ocean and Shark Allies who are dedicated to the protection and conservation of sharks and rays and the ocean realm they live in.
Contact Me for more information on prints or visit the Shark section on my website: www.underwaterpaparazzi.com/sharks
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