Shark Attack!

Guppy, Tadpole, and Goldfish beach surround Equilateral Sea. Why do you think Equilateral Sea is named that way?

Tiger shark and his family swim together in the Equilateral Sea. When the family gets hungry, Tiger makes sure they stay in one place (so he doesn’t lose them), and then finds food at each of the beaches. Tiger gets food at one beach at a time because he can only hold so much food in his mouth at one time. So he gets food at one beach, comes back to share the food (red square), and then repeats the process at the other beaches.

Where should Tiger place his family in the Equilateral Sea in order to swim the least distance for his three hunting trips? Explain your reasoning.

How would your answer change if Tiger’s family lived in the Scalene Sea?