Great Hammerhead Sharks | JONATHAN BIRD'S BLUE WORLD

Jonathan travels to Bimini in the Bahamas to test a new camera system with Great Hammerhead sharks! Will the sharks show up?
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I’m testing the feasibility of using a special kind of camera called a RED to shoot a film for fulldome theaters, which are theaters with a hemispherical screen that make the audience feel immersed in the subject.
A good place for a test is nice clear water, so I have come down to West Palm Beach to board the Dolphin Dream, one of my favorite dive boats, run by one of my favorite captains-Captain Scotty.
Cameraman Todd has joined me and we also invited my friend Mauricio Handler, a cameraman for National Geographic who has volunteered to give us an introduction to the RED and let me learn on his camera system.
Once we reach the Bahamas and get anchored, the crew starts the process of chumming for sharks.
Hopefully all this chum will bring in the Hammerheads!
I suit up to have a look down below and see if any sharks are showing up for the party. Mauricio and Todd film me suiting up with the fisheye lens to see how it will look on the dome screen.
But things are looking up. A big nurse shark has come in. With its large entourage of remoras, the nurse shark works up the courage to come in close and snap up a delicious piece of fish.
Then, out in the hazy distance, a sharky shape! And it’s approaching!
A Great Hammerhead!
It circles around the bait box, looking for tasty treats. Great Hammerheads are notoriously shy, but this one managed to overcome its fear for a snack.
Seeing it up close, I now understand why they’re called “Great”. These sharks are much bigger than I imagined. They make scalloped hammerheads look like juveniles.
The hammer, otherwise known as the cephalofoil, is an arm’s length wide. And the dorsal fin is nearly as tall. Great indeed!
Soon I realize that there is more than one animal. Both are large females and this one has a bright yellow acoustic tag on it, likely from the nearby Bimini Field research station.
Great Hammerheads have a fierce reputation-for being shy. They are just not a species that is likely to bite a swimmer or a diver. It’s not just rare to see one in the wild, it’s actually pretty rare to even be able to get them close with bait. The only reason it works here in the Bahamas at this particular spot is because researchers have been doing it for years. The sharks are used to it and they have come to trust that divers mean them no harm.
Again, with no notice, one of the Hammerheads comes out of the distance. Her keen sense of smell tells her we have fish and she wants some. But when she gets close to our bright lights blinding her, she gets a little nervous and bolts away into the darkness.
Eventually she works up the nerve to come back in and tolerates our lights on her search for food.
At times she hugs the bottom, swaying her head back and forth like a metal detector, probably trying to pick up a whiff of fish on the sand.
Finally she finds a piece of bait, but she has a hard time eating it. Most dive operators use fish leftovers from fishermen as bait. There isn’t much meat on it and the bones get tangled in the shark’s teeth-so it’s actually really hard to eat.
I spend an hour with the Hammerheads and then its back to the boat. I’ll sleep well tonight.
Our expedition to the Bahamas to film sharks was a huge success. Not only did we see some amazing Great Hammerheads, but we used the experience to learn how to shoot with the RED camera and the fisheye lens for fulldome.
Practice with the hammerheads and subsequent screening in a fulldome theater showed me how to compose images for the dome.
Four months later, we used those skills and started production on our first fulldome film in collaboration with NASA.
We filmed at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, where astronauts practice spacewalking. Then we followed the astronauts to Aquarius Reef base and filmed a NEEMO mission on the sea floor, testing equipment and techniques for exploring asteroids.
Space School was released in January of 2015. It’s about how astronauts train underwater for life and work in space. You can see it at your local planetarium or fulldome theater! It’s the closest experience to diving without actually getting wet!

[@Emily-fh8en]

Having trouble sleeping so I'm on a "BlueWorld" watch binge. These videos are so calming but so interesting at the same time!

[@BlueWorldTV]

Nice!!

[@DoubleM-hf6ih]

Can’t get enough of those Hammerhead sharks. Such awesome creatures.

[@Wyrdwulf19]

That metal detector behavior is actually a really close analogy. All sharks have organs in their noses that let them detect electromagnetic fields emitted by all living organisms. An animal can mask its presence, even its scent by burying itself in the sand. But it can't mask its electromagnetic field. All sharks have this organ that senses electricity, called ampullae of Lorenzini, but hammerhead sharks have much larger heads, meaning much more space for more ampullae and a much wider distribution of them. They can sense the weakest electric signals with a clarity that no other animal can hold a candle to, and it uses this to find animals that would otherwise be perfectly safe hiding in the sand, such as stingrays: their favorite prey. Not only do these ampullae let them find hidden prey, but it lets them find live prey, which is preferable to the remains of dead prey. If you were making a sandwich, you'd want only the freshest bologna, right? This is why if you put out chum and also hid a plate in the sand that could generate an electric charge, the hammerhead wouldn't give a second thought to the chum and go straight for the plate.

[@gachanoob360]

Wow

[@neo7977]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@Nick-hq7kl]

That is called an ampullae of Lorenzini

[@boyplussea1213]

Man this channel is the best i have been watching for 3 years and your channel has changed my feelings and also how i see the ocean and you have inspired me to dive and get in the ocean. Keep up the good work.

[@FriendlyKat]

YEAH!!! Hammerhead sharks are my fav shark and animal in this world. I want to do what Jonathon Bird does in my future!

[@atis9061]

I love it that the hammerheads are shy🤩 I am so surprised 😲

[@zegamingcuber857]

3:05 that remora has a smaller remora on it. Fish-ception

[@DachroManiac]

360 camera underwater action would be AMAZING, Can't wait to see that!

[@djupex505]

Wow! Awesome quality. Keep it coming!

[@bullsquid42]

Beautiful creatures :) And the way they keep shying away from the camera is kinda cute

[@ahjanssen3]

Thanks for the upload! Again another breath taking video :)

[@jake26gamer98]

AWW I MISS THE OLD MUSIC ONE MR JONATHAN

[@slug3282]

That big Remora had a smaller Remora on it!

[@BlueWorldTV]

LOL...I was thinking "How do YOU like it buddy?"

[@thehumanspet10]

Same!

[@Gabenor1093]

Hammerhead shark seem less scary than other shark

[@kelseynance7734]

i love ur channel we watched it in science class and now i cant stop watching!!!

[@BlueWorldTV]

You must have a cool teacher!

[@kelseynance7734]

BlueWorldTV yes she's amazing

[@Herowebcomics]

OMG! Both rare great hammerheads AND a RED CAMERA! Extra awesome!

[@rileycarp6767]

I love watching your vids I have learned soooooooooooooooooo much and and I thought you stoped making them then I was so happy when I saw another one pop up on my phone

[@BlueWorldTV]

+riley carp Stopped? No, they are just insanely expensive and involve travel, so we can only make one per month.

[@user-lk5xy4xo5j]

BlueWorldTV 子刊

[@vzovy7105]

BlueWorldTV your awesome and plaese cheek out my channel RMS super sniper gaming please please check it out

[@axolenne__7741]

riley carp new videos every friday i have learned

[@sumbulaslam3547]

riley carp @i

[@Tink19997]

Love your videos! Don't stop please

[@theguardian3431]

Thank you for all these videos. As a recently certified diver, your videos give a lot of inspiration and ideas.

[@marksaid6587]

This is fantastic! Great job. Well done, to you, Jonathan, and your team!

[@josephbunyan9170]

your right the new tune is starting to grow on me!

[@carvallom1]

Awesome job Jonathan and Blue World Team! My son and I have watched your videos over our saturday breakfasts for years, and are excited to see this Fulldome movie! The Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland would love it!

[@BlueWorldTV]

+carvallom1 Thanks! Please call them and tell them you want it!!!!!

[@zetton7273]

I watch this before I still remember this all I miss this whole thing

[@MrAdryan1603]

That was so great to see! Although I still think you all are nuts for going down there, especially at night haha The ocean is my worst fear.. probably because it's so foreign and mysterious to me. How fortunate there are fearless people out there to help me see these amazing creatures. Cheers!

[@NeyurchlesComplerb]

Like he said, hammerhead won't eat human or divers

[@sharklivesmatter7651]

@@NeyurchlesComplerb Not eat, bite. Sharks don't eat humans, rather they bite them out of curiosity to see if they are food or not. Sharks don't actually eat people.

[@jesstse4937]

Love all yr vids:')!Made me appreciate the ocean and wildlife there a whole lot more.And someday ima go learn diving!!

[@FintasticFilms]

I’m about to go hammerhead diving in Bimini in just a few days, and this video has gotten me even more hyped!

[@BlueWorldTV]

Oh man that will be awesome!

[@BlueWorldTV]

Watch how they swim and see if you notice the "side swimming" kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKuaf4abiK-DhdU

[@FintasticFilms]

@@BlueWorldTV I actually just rewatched that video a few days ago, so it’s definitely something I’m going to be looking for

[@dleddy14]

Your shark footage is awesome.

[@rileycarp6767]

Yay because you've really inspired me I write pages and pages about all the things you discover and I've learned so much

[@Blazing19721]

As usual I love all your videos and that water there is so clear and clean, the vis is super. Truly wish I could be doing some of what you do. Keep up the wonderful work you and your team are doing. God bless all of you.

[@BlueWorldTV]

+David Samuel I wish the viz was always that good!!

[@Tigerpuffer]

Laughing gulls in winter plumage (and maybe a juvenile or two) at 2:25. They could have hatched in the Caribbean, or along the Gulf Coast, or on the Atlantic coast as far north as Maine.

[@mapleleaves7345]

I loves your previous episodes music,please come back! This hammerhead looks different from the usual hammerhead.. it's slightly curve at the front..

[@captainmorgan1107]

Awesome video of an extremely intelligent animal. They didn't show any signs of aggression at all, even with chum all around.

[@Knightfire66]

Pls make more videos about sharks. they are great :)

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Knightfire66 Good one coming up in 2 weeks.

[@sphyrnaphile]

Very cool! Awesome dive spot

[@azeeranatashaazmi2596]

That was epic !!!

[@carlosbayareaplanespotting5449]

Wow, Nice experience!!

[@doublezeroisourhero]

so happy to have found this channel

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Napoleon Almaraz I'm glad you found it too! Thanks for watching!!!! :-)

[@sartanko]

They have dome screen at the Swedish Museum of Natural Histoy in Stockholm, and movies filmed underwater is awesome there!

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Dan Slash Tell them to get Space School!!

[@y0urfae]

Nice music at the start. Good for a change.

[@hvf26]

awesome video! next stop, 360 video compatible with oculus rift?

[@daniellee4642]

Love this.

[@mieloves14]

You deserve more subscribers Jonathan !

[@BlueWorldTV]

+mieloves14 Thank you I agree. Spread the word!

[@willsmooth45]

I think every dive boat is Jonathan’s favorite boat and every captain is his favorite captain 😂

[@BlueWorldTV]

Definitely not. I have favorites.

[@darkpassenger01]

very cool will be watching a lot more

[@natesmarinelife4028]

Thanks for this hammerheads are my favorite shark but great hammerheads are my favorite hammerhead

[@Carleydani1998]

BEAUTIFUL

[@remb9614]

I have to subscribe, you deserve way more subs!

[@BlueWorldTV]

Thank you!

[@cheryloleary4919]

I love them too

[@vrixal4955]

Before I started watching your videos I had a great fear of sharks, your videos have made me realise it's extremely rare to be attacked by sharks. Also where is your favourite place to go diving?

[@fatalbert2055]

3:06 a remora with another remora on it? Remoraseption

[@alexisgauthier7665]

Yay more!!!

[@Litago94]

Good camera quality!

[@ClumsyAssassins]

Those are some big sharks. Don't know if I'd ever be comfortable in the water with one though.

[@cheekslapper7236]

Its amazing how these hammerhead sharks can get as big as great white sharks! ( Length wise ) 😱😱😱

[@stormccc7525]

Do an episode on the adventure aquarium in Camden New Jersey

[@darwin-evolution3948]

You're just like one of my favourite divers, Mike DeGruy (we miss you, mike !)

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Evolution Mike was a friend. Very sad.

[@darwin-evolution3948]

Ironic, isn't it : he dived thousands of times in many dangerous locations (Amazon river, deep Cocos, deep Pacific...) and it was a helecopter crash to end it. Sorry; we all miss him.

[@Bananachick]

I would love it for Jonathan to get more popular but that would mean he couldnt reply to so many of our comments.

[@BlueWorldTV]

+JJ Burg I would still try!

[@johnowillow8803]

Jason Burg hoc zvcckfbrxbzvjflbl.xVHd hsbxv👮

[@sharklivesmatter7651]

Yeah.

[@seashurjewelry]

Awesome!

[@jitsubd2176]

I love the sea Iv always wanted to dive but I have a great fear of sharks :/ that's why I love watching your videos :) it has helped me to see that their not dangerous unless you pre one them, and besides if they bight you they won't continue to chomp and come back because they realise that we don't taste nice

[@maxruijgrok9809]

+Gamings District i've made somwhere from 35 to 40 dives so far in egypt, curaçao, bonaire and portugal and i've never seen a shark so far. you probably won't see them unless you're looking for them and even then chances are slim. so please learn to dive it's a wonderfull thing to do!

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Gamings District Diving sounds much scarier than it really is.

[@jitsubd2176]

BlueWorldTV I will im 16 and my mum has always wanted to go out to Queensland and go diving in the great barrier reef but she didnt wont to go alone, shed be in a group with other people but you no what i mean i never wanted to go because of my fear but i think i may just say screw it and go xD

[@flimsypizza627]

+BlueWorldTV um where do you live?

[@jitsubd2176]

he moves around alot so he wouldnt be at his home home much

[@elijahproto]

i used to watch this show like 2 years ago

[@BlueWorldTV]

+elijahproto Don't you still watch it?

[@Hunterstovall-zl7zu]

Wow I like this one!!!

[@pamelamaebughao2699]

I love this show!😍😍

[@jeffreyanthony4714]

no you don’t

[@TheGowmaster]

Another great episode of blue world, Jonathon. I also like the camera you're using for this episode. Forgive me for asking, but how much better is it compared to the camera you usually use? In performance terms.

[@BlueWorldTV]

+TheAnimator727 Much better. We were using an older version of the RED called the Scarlet on that shoot. It is only 4K and fairly outdated now. We ended up shooting Space School with the 6K Dragon version of the camera, which is an absolutely amazing camera. We are now shooting Blue World with 4K Sony cameras.

[@TheGowmaster]

+BlueWorldTV That's awesome. Well, keep up the fantastic work.

[@Paumonsu]

You gained a subscriber

[@romperstompist]

Do you ever get scared diving with sharks? Seems like a lot of fun either way. Awesomse footage.

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Артём Водоватов Not usually scared, they are pretty cool animals. They generally don't bother scuba divers. We are down there with them and they think of us as another big ocean creature...more of a competitor for food than something to eat.

[@roryvonbrutt7302]

I don't know how I didn't see this one but awesome you are a special person Mr. Bird or as I like to say...... I C O N ! ! !

[@BlueWorldTV]

Thank you kindly

[@Bananachick]

Youve never seen a great hammerhead? Weren't they in the Georgia Aquarium when you dived there?

[@BlueWorldTV]

+JJ Burg Wow, that was true, they were so I guess you are right. But I meant I had never seen one in the wild!

[@mohamedalielshorbagy3762]

BlueWorldTV

[@KaijuCinema]

I went scuba in Turks in Caicos and got certifed sadly I was very unlucky and didn't have any encounters with my favorite thing, I just wanna know how does it feel to be so deeps under with them?

[@BlueWorldTV]

+KaijuCinema Exciting and fun!

[@khadijaathman1808]

Hi Jonathan, what kind of fins do you have?

[@BlueWorldTV]

Force Fins

[@ProfessorClopOfficial]

Johnathan are you ever going to get a camera that can record in 4k resolution

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Xenotis Games We started with 4K for season 5. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4C9n4iBhJt-e7c

[@Akikosdream]

Man they're beautiful :O

[@mervinablao6115]

THESE VID ARE AWSOME I EVEN SuB

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Smooth hammerhead: What about me? I'm the only big hammerhead species you haven't did an episode on. You: Don't worry, I will do an episode about you in the future. I promise.

[@jimbo7105]

What channel is this on because I love this

[@Bananachick]

+Fuzroda _ PBS

[@rotaryskratch18]

Captain, we need more chum. CAPTAINNNN!!!!!!!!!!

[@gmardog]

At 3:08 Remora with another Remora on it? Or was it some other fish

[@BlueWorldTV]

Yes! Good eyes. I thought that was pretty funny.

[@gmardog]

BlueWorldTV I always had good eyes!

[@kav_x2562]

How is it wrong? Its a great hammerhead shark

[@axolenne__7741]

Jacewyn Santos there are different types of hammerheads like bonnetheads and scalloped hammerheads but the great hammerhead is the biggest one

[@axolenne__7741]

Jacewyn Santos also its not a hammer shark its hammerhead btw

[@sunparis22]

Start making more vids it's the only way I can see the ocean

[@snotseasoning7429]

Have you done a video on the orca?

[@BlueWorldTV]

+meowmeow HD Not yet!

[@FoXTro25]

I love your intro

[@pontan8084]

scooba dive at the wreck site of the MS Estonia! Its in the baltic sea.

[@scottcarter512]

Are you wearing a BCD with that Double hose reg. ? It almost looks like a back inflator, but with small wings on the side. Just curious. ;)

[@BlueWorldTV]

It's a backplate/BCD designed for use with the doublehose.

[@scottcarter512]

Sir, do you mind if I ask your advice ? I recently purchased a double hose (my first). I haven't dove without a BCD before, and think I'd like to keep one for now, as I don't personally know anyone locally that already dives without one who could coach me. I currently dive an oceanic back mount with an old oceanic side vent regulator. How would I buy/build something like what you've got ? Any one vendor better than another ? As a newbie to the world of the double hose, I'm just looking for a point in the right direction. Thank you Sir. Love your videos and your motivation !

[@BlueWorldTV]

You should always dive with some form of a BCD. The tech types prefer a back plate with a "wing" (inflatable part for buoyancy) rather than a more typical BCD, but both are basically the same thing. The Backplate/wing combo I'm using is just designed with a round cut out in the backplate to get the doublehose reg a little lower, which gets it closer to the level of your lungs and makes it breathe easier. You can get the same effect by using a normal BCD and mounting it high on the tank, so the reg is lower on your back. Check this: vintagedoublehose.com/store/#!/Plates-Wings-Harnesses/c/1874499/offset=0&sort=normal

[@scottcarter512]

Thank you Sir !

[@ryanmoon1905]

The Nurse Shark had a tag too

[@Tink19997]

Do you not get scared when your trying to see some sharks and some kind of big great white shark comes along?? What would you do? Could this happen

[@saidabimelec8506]

hey guys I know everyone has their bucket list for your show but I've never really seen you mention jellies so I guess I should remind you about them... hey there's a lake in Palau where jellies don't even sting so I guess it's a nice place for filming but u can't scuba dive... snorkel or freedive a bit but not too deep cuz of hydrogen sulfide if I'm not mistaken

[@jeannemclendon3304]

My 6-year old son is obsessed with Jonathan Bird (has been since he was 3!). Does anyone know if J Bird does any events or trips for families, where kids can participate? I think my kid's head would explode if he met Jonathan Bird.

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Jeanne McLendon Where do you guys live?

[@jeannemclendon3304]

+BlueWorldTV We are in NYC. But are willing to travel. We've been to numerous aquariums near & far. Our favorite is National in Baltimore.

[@rashidabbasi6035]

YOur video is outstanding . God Give you long and healthy life

[@alexandretaylor7324]

Could u Dione on mako sharks

[@thecheestar8037]

Yay your in Canada🇨🇦😜

[@leedavis2300]

You should do one on moons please!!

[@neftalibonilla725]

Wow

[@cristiandunca3366]

now subscribed:)

[@camillalynch1513]

can you do a blobfish by the way great video

[@dragon_slayer7919]

YESSS finally!! I'm so happy to see a new video!! Every time I watch you I have a huge grin on my face and I have a few more questions for you... Can you please do a video on the otodus qbliquus shark? How do you have the guts to get that close to whales? Aren't whales vary dangerous if they are a carnivore and have teeth? When is your birthday ( mine is October-14-2004 Please answer -your biggest 10 year old fan -Nomaan 😀🐬🐳🐳🐟🐠🐋🐋

[@dragon_slayer7919]

P.s what's a baleen whale?

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Dragon_Slayer Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching! Otodus is extinct, so that is a tough subject! As a general rule, whales are not really dangerous at all. They are so much bigger than us that they are not threatened by us. If they are scared they swim away and if they are not scared, they might be curious and hang around to check you out. But they are not generally aggressive. I was once in the water with whales that were engaged in some courtship, which can be quite rough, and that was dangerous because they were not aware of me (being more interested in themselves). That was dangerous because I could get crushed between them. I got out of the water fast. Even toothed whales like Sperm whales and Orcas have not exhibited any interest in attacking people--we are just not their food. It's really amazing being in the water with such a large animal though and that's the reason we do it. What an experience! A baleen whale is a whale with no teeth, but baleen instead, kind of like a filter for feeding on plankton and small fish. Most are the large whales are baleen whales, like the Blue whale, Finback, Humpback, etc. Happy 11th birthday in 11 days!

[@dragon_slayer7919]

+BlueWorldTV ok thanks :)

[@subhashinis2341]

I never seen a great hammerhead? Weren't they in the Georgia Aquarium when you dived there?

[@BlueWorldTV]

Yes, there was one.

[@tylercardoza1633]

Which RED camera did you use in this video?

[@BlueWorldTV]

+Tyler Cardoza In that video it was the Scarlet.

[@atin52505]

It just shocks me there are actually much more sharks in the world than you think

[@antoniaferguson2033]

I cant believe this is going to be my job soon

[@kenidicalamity86]

I would give anything to dive here!

[@Hadrosaur838]

Nice intro :)

[@Hadrosaur838]

And outro

[@errolcoleman9852]

I am a fan