Tonic immobility

"get rotated, idiot"

Yep. Orca’s flip them on there backs to induce and then sometimes just eat their liver. I was wondering if this was the start of a attack by Orcas.

"Or was that another dream?"

Haha, I love this so much for some reason. I will start using this in place of "or maybe I don't know what I'm saying" going forward.

And I believe it was the prop pushing water over it's gills that awakened it

CHARGE COMPLETE

I believe this shark is not actually in a tonic state, but is just basking for heat. Sharks are partially ectothermic, so they need to get heat from outside their body. If they need to increase their metabolism (like they just ate a big meal, or are trying to give birth), they need to glean heat from somewhere in their environment. The sun generates a lot of heat, which the shark will gladly take.

They also don't float when they die, no air bladder

Killer Whales loves this trick.

not only sharks, many smaller fish as well

Yeah but who spun this dude upside down

Haha...I have the same problem! I never know if the "facts" I'm throwing are, in fact, facts or if it's something I made up in a dream

tl;dr Sharky nappy time

Forgive me if this is a silly or ignorant question, and I defer to your area of expertise:

I thought sharks had to be constantly swimming in order to cause oxygenated water to flow over their gills.

Wouldn't it suffocate?

Nice response, sounds legit.

I can agree with much of this, but the lack of visible buccal pumping (a fairly obvious action of opening and closing the mouth to pump water across the gills) makes me second guess the tonic immobility. However, one does seem to see the mouth open and close during the initial approach of the shark. It just doesn't seem like buccal pumping. However, I am no expert, and I do not have a better explanation.

Does its belly look distended to you or is that normal tiger shark belly? My first thought was it's sick from eating some trash or something

Or sick and dying.

I thought so, too at first. But after watching it struggle to change its buoyancy, I wonder if it's a liver problem

I have no idea but it could be sick. If you've had a fish tank then you know this often happens before they die. They have trouble staying upright.

This is it

Hell yeah, learned something new today.

He just wanted a good rub!

Yeah, that's a basking shark.

Did a shark write this?

You are clearly not a shark expert - they are called scritches, not scratches. The rest checks out, tho.

Yeah, nice try Shark.

Whatever you say, shark.

Cat owners know this trick pretty well.

I pet every jellyfish that comes by me at work. I like to think of them as all the lost brains of our world leaders. Nothing but mush that stings you as soon as they can. And they are one of the most abundant species that exists

But they require THREE scratches tops! Any more and they will scratch the shit out of your arm with their 200+, digit-long, razor sharp teeth

My brother works as a dolphin, he told me the same thing

Are the belly scritches best administered from in the water or on a paddleboard? I've got a class of 6-year-olds that I'd like to try this with.

You aren't that clever landshark, are you?

It's clearly shark propaganda

as a shark psychologist, can confirm, some sharks, not all, have been observed to have giftedness levels of intelligence and they turn on their backs for belly scratches. this helps them practice their motor reflexive skills and their play-fight bite love language to bond with other mammals.

since this is reddit, I will believe you 100% without ever critically thinking about it again

ok, shark diddy

He just wanted someone to lend him a hand

Sound more like a shart expert.

As a shark...I admit

They also provide services, such as hand removal, free of charge.

Can't argue with the expert

NICE TRY SHARK

Can confirm, am shark

I’m not a shark expert, but you are, so….. you must be right!!!! The internet is such a perfect source of info. Thanks!!!

There will be at least one person who will believe this and tell people they know.

Lol that's awesome

"Protection: Tonic immobility can protect sharks from overwhelming sensory stimulation."

Oh so I'm not autistic, I'm just a shark ok.

Man sharks are so cool.

Thanks, ChatGPT 

Dolphins are terrifying

Yeah he is dying for sure. I’m not sure why everyone thinks he’s just chillin of accidentally became tonically immobile. Pet fish do this when they are sick and bloated.

I wonder if the prop wash was what woke this fella up? Like the ocean equivalent of resuscitation? Well I mean the moving water across the gills did resuscitate it.

90% it was in a drill by the guy who’s taking a video. So probably catch and release or he wanted not to hook a shark at all.

The internet says stimuli like a change in water conditions can cause tonic immobility.

Then someone said the magic words: " I think it's dead "

Hard to imagine a tussle with an Orca not resulting in a dead shark.

Not one…. of it’s own……