Pete Thomas Outdoors

Great white hoax: Viral image showing diver 'taming' large shark is not what it seems

Viral shark image since pulled from Facebook

By Pete Thomas

An image showing a diver taming a great white shark with a gloved hand placed on the snout of the predator whipped up a social media frenzy over the weekend, as viewers debated the validity of the photograph.

There were no details regarding the image, other than this description on the Perth & WA Fishing Reports Facebook page: “My bro sent me this photo taken of a local diver near Augusta [Australia] pushing away this great white with his glove on the nose. When done right it temporarily sedates the shark. My face would be not as apparently calm.”

Was the image photoshopped? The shark looks inert. The shark looks dead. There’s not enough water movement for this to be real. Is the diver brave, or stupid?

These were some of the assumptions and allegations appearing on various comment threads as the image was shared thousands of times.

But the truth was revealed Monday by the West Australian, which reported that the shark was in fact a dead mako, not a great white.

It appears to have been a joke gone bad. The man who sent the image to Perth and WA Fishing Reports, and was listed as the photographer (Ben Chase), asked that the post be pulled, which it was early Monday.

Shark on the left is similar to the mako shark on the right. Comparison photo is via the West Australian

“It is not his image and was a bit of a joke with him and his friends that unfortunately went viral,” Perth and WA Fishing Reports told me.

The West Australian reports: “After some investigation, it was found out that the great white, far from being on the hunt of fresh meat and ready to claim his next meal, was in fact a dead 2.5m Mako shark.”

The investigation was based largely on a similar photograph sent to the newspaper last month, showing an abalone diver untangling line from a dead mako shark. The shark in both images (posted above) appear to be the same shark. Similar snout markings. Similar size. Almost definitely the same mako shark that apparently died after becoming entangled in fishing lines.

So the mystery appears to have been solved, the hoax revealed.

Writes Drew Scerbo, a shark advocate and an expert who has debunked other hoaxes in the past, on Facebook:

“Looks like we only had to wait 24 hours for our answers and most of us were correct. Dead shark (said to be a 2.5m mako) was being played with by some divers in order to make the appearance of being rescued or defended against, even though it had been deceased for several days.

“There will always be people trying to pull a fast one over on the public, trying to gain notoriety for something they never actually did. It never ends and it often involves sharks.

“Incredibly sad - for many reasons. It seems no magnificent ocean dweller can be safe from exploitation - even after death.”

Great white sharks feasting on dead whale attack nearby fishing boat

By Pete Thomas

When a large humpback whale washed ashore dead at Dockweiler State Beach on June 30, there was concern that the carcass would attract sharks.

Keith Poe knew it'd attract sharks, so when the whale was towed offshore for at least the third time last week – it kept drifting back in during previous attempts – the renowned shark tagger found the carcass 10 miles out in the hope of tagging and releasing sharks for science.

But the sharks ended up tagging Poe. Great white sharks, including one measuring about 18 feet, slammed his 24-foot boat sporadically over a three-day span, and one strike shoved his vessel several feet across the water.

“Words cannot describe how loud the impact was around my head [while I was] inside the boat’s v-berth,” Poe stated Saturday in a Facebook description of his extraordinary encounter. “The boat was full-on attacked 7 different times… usually at sunrise or sunset.”

 

The hull of Poe's vessel, Shark Tagger, is etched with scrapes caused by shark teeth (see the accompanying video).

Poe, who was operating with a tagging permit from the Marine Conservation Science Institute, arrived at the bloated whale carcass at sunset last Wednesday. Over the next two days he counted at least seven individual white sharks, most of them huge females.

The most violent attack occurred Thursday night at 7 p.m., as Poe was trying to nap inside the v-berth at the bow. The strike occurred very close to Poe’s head, and it jarred him awake.

“I thought a sailboat slammed into me because I didn’t hear a motor,” Poe said. “I was sure the fiberglass was broken through, then I saw the teeth marks and was blown away. It scared the hell out of me.”

The other attacks were more subtle.  The sharks, somewhat frenzied, might have confused the hull of Poe's boat with the whale carcass. But these could simply be the actions of territorial apex predators. 

He was concerned, but confident that the boat could withstand the shark attacks, and kept baits out in the hope of reeling in and tagging a shark or two.

“I only hooked up two, and lost them,” Poe bemoaned.

When he returned to port Saturday afternoon, after the sharks had abandoned the increasingly putrid whale carcass, Poe discovered the bite marks  on his hull.

On Sunday, Poe said, a friend inspecting the bow of his boat discovered part of a shark’s tooth “wedged in there tight, about a half-inch deep.”

Poe, who has tagged thousands of mako sharks and was featured recently in an episode of "Shark Week," is among experts who believe that populations of large shark species Southern California are increasing.

As for humpback whale, an adult female nicknamed Wally, she was towed to sea yet another time Sunday, after drifting into Orange County waters. The cause of Wally's death is not yet known.

–Great white shark images are courtesy of Keith Poe. The humpback whale image, captured Sunday, is courtesy of Mark Giradeau/Orange County Outdoors

Basking shark feeds alongside whale off Cape Cod (video)

Whale watchers off Cape Cod watched in awe this week as an enormous basking shark appeared near a feeding humpback whale.

Basking shark sightings are rare, and the migration patterns of the planet’s second-largest fish – second to whale sharks – are still largely a mystery to scientists.

The accompanying footage, captured aboard a Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises vessel, shows the massive filter-feeder gliding just beneath the surface, its mouth agape, consuming plankton.

  

Though this was an extraordinary sighting, more dramatic was that of the humpback whale lunge-feeding at the surface, inspiring humorous commentary by the videographer, who deadpans after a massive gulp, “Are there any fish left?”

Basking sharks typically reach lengths of about 30 feet and are found in temperate waters around the world. Another basking shark sighting occurred earlier this month off Penzance, England.

That encounter was videotaped by a kayaker. Basking sharks, which pose no danger to humans, were named because of the lazy manner by which they swim in their endless search for plankton blooms.

They’re listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

–Pete Thomas

Giant whale shark spotted inside Cabo San Lucas marina; 'a first-time event'

It’s rare enough to spot a whale shark in the pristine water beyond Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, but to see one swimming inside the marina might be unheard of.

“This is a first-time event in Cabo,” Tracy Ehrenberg, general manager of Pisces Sportfishing, said of the Monday morning sighting.

The 20-foot whale shark was spotted near the back of the harbor by a man who thought it was a great white shark. "Then we heard that others said no it was a mako... then the truth came out it was actually a WHALE shark... the largest fish on the planet," Pisces stated on Facebook.

 

The footage was captured by Beto Lira, captain of Ruthless.

Whale sharks, which can measure to about 40 feet, are the world’s largest fish species. The docile plankton-eaters are also mysterious in that little is known about their migration habits.

They're sometimes spotted in the Sea of Cortez, between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, but not inside harbors, where water quality is diminished.

Added Pisces: “The fish actually swam up to the dock where the Pisces boats leave from. It caused a huge amount of excitement amongst the crews as you can tell by the filming.

"We were just commenting yesterday how clear and warm the water is and how much bait there is in the marina... not that the whale shark was after them, they are a harmless plankton eater. The only danger they pose is if you are out fishing and collide with them. They are gentle giants. What a marvelous way to start the week.

–Pete Thomas

–Note: Whale shark image atop this post is generic.

Half-ton great white shark caught in China, destroys net 'as final act of revenge'

Graphic photos have emerged showing a great white shark weighing more than 1,000 pounds on display at a market in Zhoushan, China.

The 14-foot shark was said to have been caught “mistakenly” last week in a net hauled up on a blustery night by Wang Xianjin, according to the Chinese-language Netease News.

“I’ve been fishing for 27 years and never have I seen such a big shark,” Wang said.

The Shanghaiist reports that, "as a final act of revenge,” the struggling shark destroyed Wang’s $10,000 net.

The initial offer for the shark opened at about $1,500, but Wang said he planned to donate the carcass to a nearby museum, and had only stopped at the market to find a friend to help him deliver the carcass.

–Images are via Netease News

Bamboo shark rescued while inside egg; blossoms into striking critter named Panda

Most shark stories have to do with the capture of enormous specimens, or attacks on humans by sharks that mistake surfers and swimmers as prey.

The following story, however, is of the heartwarming variety, involving a colorful shark named Panda, saved by a student in Queensland, Australia, and his dad.

Panda is a brownbanded bamboo shark, whose life began inside of an egg, which somehow became snarled in a net found by a Dunwich State School pupil named Laurence, and his dad.

The egg was delivered to the University of Queensland’s Moreton Bay Research Station and Study Centre just before Christmas.

On Monday, the research facility broke the happy news on Facebook:

“We have been monitoring her all that time, and late last night she finally hatched! She had her first feed this morning and is happy and healthy. We will release her once she is a bit bigger and able to fend for herself.”

Brownbanded bamboo sharks, which are found in the Indo-West Pacific from Japan to about northern Australia, are hardy predators that can reach lengths of nearly four feet. They prey on small fish and crustaceans, and pose no danger to humans.

Their striking appearance makes them popular as aquarium pets, but of course they belong in the wild.

The Moreton Bay facility announced that Panda will be set free once she “can fend for herself.” Laurence and his dad are expected to participate in the release.

–Image of Panda courtesy of the Moreton Bay Research Station and Study Centre

Hammerhead shark bites motor, splashes captain during Oceanside tuna bite

Hammerhead shark sightings are up for the second summer in a row off Southern California, thanks to unusually warm water that's luring semi-tropical species north of their typical range.

Perhaps the most dramatic encounter of 2015 occurred late last week off Oceanside, where Capt. Ryan Gillette and friends were fishing for yellowfin tuna aboard Gillette's private boat.

 
The accompanying footage shows the 7-foot shark speeding around the boat, obviously excited by the scent of chum and the hooked tuna, with some fun commentary by Gillette.

Later in the footage, the shark bites the prop and uses its tail to splash the captain with water.

The shark eventually left and Gillette and friends continued to catch yellowfin, another species that shows off Southern California only during warm-water summers.

–Note: Gillette's footage was edited by Phil Friedman Outdoors.

Large tiger shark swims off with pricey camera–and the diver!

Tiger sharks in the Bahamas will sometimes inspect and bump camera equipment being carried by scuba divers.

But one large shark took more than a passing interest recently; it clamped down on a $10,000 camera and ended up swimming off with the rig–and, for a brief period, with the diver!

 

The accompanying footage, captured By Shawn Hull, shows the shark’s approach, the opening and closing of the mouth around the camera, and the diver being pulled beneath the shark’s belly, and finally the diver letting go, realizing he could not win this battle.

There are a couple of choice and unsavory words issued when the diver realizes his camera is lost. The words are muffled by water, but you get his drift.

731-pound mako shark caught off Dana Point

Anglers and spearfishermen have logged several impressive catches of bluefin tuna and yellowtail in recent weeks off Orange County, thanks in part to the influx of millions of pelagic red crabs.

But perhaps the top catch of the spring/summer season was that of a 731-pound mako shark, landed Friday off Dana Point.

 

catch of the day! 🎣 731 pound #makoshark #danapoint congrats Kenny & friends

A photo posted by parkerstrick💛 (@parkerstrick) on Jun 19, 2015 at 6:27pm PDT

We’re not sure who reeled in the giant shark, but it was weighed Friday at Dana Point Fuel Dock, and the two photos of the shark were posted to Instagram by Parker Strick with the statement, “Catch of the day! Congrats Kenny & friends."

John Van Dixhorn, owner of Dana Point Fuel Dock, captured the image below this post. It was supplied via Dana Wharf Sportfishing.

 

Whale shark visit inspires crewman to jump overboard and ride the docile critter

 

A whale shark recently decided to nudge and loiter around a charter boat for four-plus hours off Australia’s Northern Territory, so of course one of the crew was compelled to jump in and ride the critter.

The nighttime encounter occurred 100 miles west of Darwin, and at one point the whale shark, which was feeding with its mouth open, bumped into a 15-foot tender tied to the mother ship.

“He ain’t real smart. Lucky he’s pretty,” one of the men can be heard saying in the accompanying footage.

The boat was from Cannon Charters and the commentary is from Benny “the Bushman” Sambrooks, a guide who seems to be the person jumping in to swim briefly with the whale shark.

Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish, reaching lengths of about 40 feet. They’re found in tropical seas around the world, but their migration patterns remain mysterious.

Fortunately for Sambrooks, the sharks feed largely on plankton and are harmless to humans.

 

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