Shark Weathervane – Hammerhead

The Hammerhead Shark Weather Vane, Sphyrna zygaena, featured in this image is handcrafted with an all copper body. Because our vanes are made to order, the choice of metals can be modified at the time an order is placed.

Two of our very creative customers used one of our Small Hammerhead sharks in a very interesting way. In addition to ordering the Small Hammerhead shark, they also ordered one of our Small Scuba Diver Weather Vane sculptures and a Large Dive Boat Weather Vane. Instead of displaying the Hammerhead and Scuba Diver separately, we soldered them to the East and West directionals, so that the Hammerhead appeared to be “chasing” the scuba diver beneath the turning Dive Boat! It was a great idea and created an entire scene with interactive elements and a dramatic storyline. The dive boat was an actual scaled down replica of a real dive boat based in Santa Barbara.

Another great idea would be to pair one of our shark weathervanes with one of our scuba diver weathervanes, but this time, each on its own cupola. If positioned near enough to each other, you can imagine the drama that would be caused by the shifting wind. One moment, the shark would be chasing the scuba diver and the next minute the scuba diver would be in pursuit of the shark!

The Hammerhead’s unusual head shape may have evolved (at least in part) to enhance the animal’s vision. The positioning of the eyes, mounted on the sides of the shark’s distinctive hammer-head give the shark good 360-degree vision in the vertical plane, meaning they can see above and below them at all times. Hammerheads have disproportionately small mouths and seem to do a lot of bottom-hunting. They are also known to form schools during the day, sometimes in groups of over 100. In the evening, like other sharks, they become solitary hunters.