Video Below.
The Republic of Palau is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific. There are about 340 islands in the nation.
Like Tuvalu, the island group was settled around 3,000 years ago, the immigrants coming from surrounding islands.
Since 1574 the islands have been ruled by Spain, Imperial Germany, Japan, and the United States of America. Palau gained independence in 1994 under a Compact of Free Association with the United States, who provides defense, funding, and social services.
Before that, in 1983, Palau gained postal independence and issued their first postage stamps.
These four stamps were issued in the last year before full independence from the United States, on 11 August 1993. They were printed by offset lithography, with a perforation of 14 1/4×14 ½.
All four stamps have a face value of 50-cents.
The Oceanic Whitetip Shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, shown on this stamp is different from the Reef Whitetip shown on the Tanzanian 150-shilling stamp.
While those reef sharks hunt the reef at night, Oceanic Whitetips are active both day and night. Their sleep is probably partial, never really falling into a sleep like we know it.
Oceanic Whitetip live in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide, more commonly in deep waters rather than near-shore. They are most common from near the surface to depths down to 650 feet (200 m). When they are found in shallower water, it is most commonly around oceanic islands like Hawai’i, where they are never very far from deeper areas.
They are reputed to be among the most dangerous sharks to humans. There are several recorded instances of large numbers of Oceanic Whitetips attacking survivors of sinking ships.
They can grow to 13 feet (4 m), but are most Oceanic Whitetips only grow to 10 feet (3 m). They are viviparous, giving birth to up to fifteen 2 foot (60 cm) long pups.
Their fins are relatively large, which makes them a prime target for shark-finning, the practice of catching sharks and removing their fins for soup, then dropping the rest of the shark back overboard, to die of suffocation as it can no longer swim to push water through their gills.
I talked about the Leopard Shark, Stegastoma varium, pictured on this stamp, in the Tanzania video in talking about the 50-shilling Tanzanian stamp.
The Great Hammerhead, Sphyrna mokorran, is the largest of the hammerheads, and can grow to 20 feet (6 m) though average about 15 feet (4.6 m).
They live in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world, mostly near the coast. They may be found in water from 3 feet (1 m) to 260 feet (80 m) deep. They are a shark to watch out for at the beach in areas where they may occur.
They rarely attack humans, though like several other sharks sometimes investigates divers they come across and will attack if provoked.
They are another shark with large fins, and are regularly fished for shark fin soup. Because of this, they have been declared a critically endangered species.
The use of the odd-shaped head of hammerheads to the shark is the subject of great speculation. The head shape is called a cephalofoil. In the case of the Great Hammerhead, they will use the “hammer” as a hammer, swinging it at rays and other prey fishes, and then using their head to push their victim into the bottom while maneuvering into a better biting position.
Some biologists think that the cephalofoil aids the fish in keeping up in the water column, acting as an additional fin, like adding a wing to an airplane.
The Great Hammerhead, however, has an odd swimming habit. They swim great distances rolled over on their sides. The shape of the head, therefore, would not act as a wing, though it might act as a rudder at the front of the shark.
Adult Great Hammerheads have a smooth, almost straight front edge to their heads. Other hammerheads don’t have a straight edge, but rather it may be wavy, or bowed.
They breed every other year, and can have up to 55 pups at a time, though 20 to 40 is more common. Gestation is 11 months, and the young are around 20 inches (50 cm) at birth and mature at between seven to nine feet.
I introduced the Reef Blacktip Shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus, from the $1.50 stamp from the Pitcairn Islands.
That’s all I have for this shark week, I think. It’s been fun!
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