Tiger Sharks have been noted to reach 7m in length, but most of the sightings in South Africa are of females under 4m. Their bodies have dark vertical stripes along their upper backs that become lighter with age. The Tiger Shark has a very blunt and squared nose and its tail (caudal fin) is more suited for slow swimming, allowing only short and sudden bursts of speed. They have broad, serrated, cockscomb teeth that are widely set in both the upper and lower jaws.

The Tiger shark reaches sexual maturity around 3m and bares live young. A single female can give birth from 10 to 80 pups measuring anything from 50 cm to 90 cm. Both Tiger Sharks and Ragged Tooth Sharks can remain motionless for extensive periods as they regulate water flow over their gills by means of active respiration.

Tiger sharks are found in both temperate and tropical seas and are known to enter shallow coastal waters near river mouths and harbors. They will feed on bony fish, smaller sharks, marine mammals and even birds, making them voracious and opportunistic predators.

Various unnatural items (Plastic, tin cans, and livestock) have been found in their stomachs. This means that the tiger shark has a tendency to scavenge.

Tiger Sharks have an extensive range, covering very large areas daily. It has also been noted that tiger sharks use rapid ascents and descents in the water column to detect prey as well as oils from submerged carcasses.

Even though these sharks are seen often along the South African coast they rarely come close to divers. They do however respond well to baiting techniques and that helps divers and scientists to get a close enough to get a privilege look at these animals to study the sharks and its behavior.