Behind the Science of Tiger Queen

The shark population in Turks and Caicos has a sizable concentration of female tiger sharks, leaving scientists wondering where all the males are hiding. Shark enthusiast Kinga Philipps joins Dr. Austin Gallagher to help solve this puzzling mystery.

Dr. Austin Gallagher is the Chief Executive and lead scientist at Beneath the Waves. He gives us the inside scoop on what happened out on the water while shooting TIGER QUEEN.

Stream TIGER QUEEN on discovery+.

July 14, 2021

By: Beneath The Waves

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Photo By: Austin Gallagher for Beneath the Waves

Photo By: Sami Kattan for Beneath the Waves.

Photo By: Beneath the Waves

The ultimate apex predators, tiger sharks are truly the great white sharks of the Caribbean. Females are known to be much larger than their male counterparts, so when the Beneath The Waves (BTW) team heard that there were many large tigers returning to the waters of the Turks and Caicos every year, they suspected they would find a group of females. Why are they traveling here? For food? To mate or give birth? Tune in to find out.

Deep water environments are known to be attractive to large shark species, during migrations, feeding, and potentially even mating. The Beneath the Waves team hopes to learn more about the deep-sea waters of the Turks & Caicos Islands--could there be tigers down there?

Essential equipment for every Shark Week episode. Scuba allows researchers (and curious divers) to visit and observe sharks in their natural habitats. Various cameras are always finding the best angles for interviews. Even on a rocking boat, the sound tech holds the mic in the most ideal spot. So much goes into creating the best shots on Shark Week!

Every safe dive always has an extensive briefing beforehand. Underwater communication can be challenging, so divers must remain coordinated. The team conducts a briefing before every dive, to plan the events of the dive and discuss what could go right--and wrong--when diving with large apex predators. The pristine blue of the Lucayan Sea makes for a nice backdrop when searching for tiger sharks.

With eyes on the horizon, the team also takes to the skies to locate sharks. It can be difficult to spot a shark underwater from a boat, even when the shark is nearby, due to wind, waves, and the millions of years of evolutionary success sharks have with camouflage and the element of surprise. With the help of a drone, the BTW team is able to scan large areas and help direct the captain and dive team toward potential shark zones. The drone also provides fantastic aerial shots of a shark.

Dr. Austin Gallagher and Kinga Philipps review maps with Big Blue Collective, looking for potential tiger shark hotspots to start the day.

Dr. Oliver Shipley has tagged dozens of tiger sharks throughout the Caribbean, leading expeditions and research projects seeking to understand the sharks’ relationships with different habitats, and species. Assisting Dr. Gallagher and Kinga Philipps in the Turks & Caicos, Dr. Shipley hopes to find answers about why so many large female tiger sharks are seen here each year.