Tiger sharks are opportunistic predators with extremely varied diets, earning them the nickname "garbage cans of the sea" for consuming everything from fish and seabirds to turtles and occasionally non-food items
Diet overview
Tiger sharks feed on a wide range of prey including bony fish, rays, smaller sharks, seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles. They also scavenge carrion and will investigate and ingest unusual objects they encounter, reflecting a highly opportunistic feeding strategy.
Feeding adaptations
Powerful jaws, robust serrated teeth and a stout body allow tiger sharks to tackle hard‑shelled prey such as turtles and crustaceans, while their curious foraging behaviour leads them to sample a variety of items in the environment.
Ecological role
As apex and mesopredators, tiger sharks help maintain ecosystem balance by consuming sick or weakened animals and by linking multiple food webs through their wide dietary breadth, which can influence prey populations and scavenging dynamics.
Human interaction and conservation
Tiger sharks’ bold feeding habits and coastal presence can lead to occasional interactions with humans, but they face threats from fishing, bycatch and habitat loss. Conserving their populations helps preserve marine food‑web structure and biodiversity.
Takeaway
The tiger shark’s reputation as the ocean’s "garbage can" reflects its flexible, opportunistic diet and ecological importance as a wide‑ranging predator that consumes an extraordinary variety of natural and anthropogenic items.