Hammerhead Shark

Hello there. I am a Hammerhead Shark, and I’m one of the ocean’s best explorers. You’ve probably noticed my most famous feature: my head. It’s wide and flat, almost like a hammer, which is how I got my name. Scientists call it a cephalofoil. It might look a little funny, but it’s actually a superpower that helps me navigate the vast blue world I call home. My family has been swimming in these oceans for a very long time, about 20 million years, so we have had plenty of time to perfect our amazing design. My life began in a safe, shallow coastal nursery. I was born with many brothers and sisters, and we spent our early days in the protected waters, learning to hunt and hide before we were big enough to venture into the deep sea. It was a busy and exciting start to a life of adventure.

My amazing head gives me incredible senses that help me survive. My eyes are placed on the very ends of my hammer-shaped head, which gives me a fantastic panoramic view of everything around, below, and above me. I have a wide field of vision due to the placement of my eyes, but I possess a blind spot directly in front of my snout. This means it’s very hard for anything to sneak up on me. But I have another secret sense that’s even more special. My head is covered in tiny pores called ampullae of Lorenzini. These pores can detect the faint electricity that all living animals give off. This is my secret to finding my favorite meal: stingrays. Even when they are hiding under a blanket of sand on the seafloor, I can sense their electrical field and know exactly where they are. Once I find one, I use my wide head to pin my dinner to the seafloor so it can’t escape. It's a very effective way to hunt.

Unlike many other types of sharks who prefer to live by themselves, many of my hammerhead cousins and I are very social. We love to hang out together in huge groups called schools. Sometimes, there can be hundreds of us swimming together in a magnificent procession through the water. It’s an amazing sight. We are especially known for gathering in large numbers around underwater mountains and islands, like the famous Galápagos Islands. Being in a school helps us feel safe and makes it easier to find partners. We are also great travelers. My family and I go on long migrations, swimming for hundreds of miles through the open ocean. We travel to find food and to find water that is the perfect temperature for us to thrive. These long journeys are a big part of our lives, connecting us to different parts of the ocean throughout the year.

My life in the ocean isn’t always easy. For many years, my family has faced serious challenges. We sometimes get accidentally caught in big fishing nets, and some people have hunted us for our fins. It was a difficult time for us, and our numbers started to go down. But then, something hopeful began to happen. People started to notice that we needed help and began working to protect us. A very important year for my family was 2013. That year, an international group called CITES gave special protection to several types of hammerheads, including some of my closest relatives. This group helps make sure that sharks like me are not overfished and that any trade is done safely and legally. This was a huge step forward and gave us a much better chance to swim freely and safely in our ocean home.

As a predator at the top of the food chain, I have a very important job in the ocean. I help keep the entire ecosystem balanced and healthy. By hunting animals like stingrays, I make sure that no single group of animals becomes too numerous and eats all the smaller creatures. A healthy ocean needs sharks like me to keep everything in order. My story is a reminder that every creature has a special role to play on our planet. By taking care of the seas and protecting marine life, humans are also taking care of us and ensuring that we can continue our important work. I am a guardian of the ocean, and I am glad to share this beautiful blue planet with you.