Celebrating the Majesty of Sharks.
THAT Picture?
OK, so we've all seen the image. Anyone seem to think its real or a fake? A lot of folks are out on this one. The bite looks massive, I guess people are just not keyed into the idea that there could be something that big swimming around just offshore?
Some people have indicated the disproportionate size of the pectoral fin in relation to the apparent size of the victim. Others have drawn attention to the almost unnatural straight gray coloration originating from what would basically be the back of the 'neck' of the animal down to the pectoral fin. The sharks mouth is open due to the water rushing through the gill slits and out of the mouth, some folks had drawn attention to the animal 'gaping' in agony. I table the victim is already dead given the extent of the apparent injuries.
What are your thoughts, other than the obviously irresponsible reporting.
Cheers,
Mark.
Some people have indicated the disproportionate size of the pectoral fin in relation to the apparent size of the victim. Others have drawn attention to the almost unnatural straight gray coloration originating from what would basically be the back of the 'neck' of the animal down to the pectoral fin. The sharks mouth is open due to the water rushing through the gill slits and out of the mouth, some folks had drawn attention to the animal 'gaping' in agony. I table the victim is already dead given the extent of the apparent injuries.
What are your thoughts, other than the obviously irresponsible reporting.
Cheers,
Mark.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey Gallant on -
Mark - Here is some pertinent info on the photo: www.sharkdivers.blogspot.com/2009/10/australias-monster-shark-facts...
Also I believe that the bites - or their appearance - may have been worsened by the strain caused by towing the shark behind the boat at high speed. The pectoral fin(s) and the openings themselves appear to be causing a lot of drag.
A sad sight.
- Jeffrey
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Permalink Reply by Adam Peden on -
I would think that since generally a great white (no matter the size) wouldnt just take a bite out like that and then leave it, and since i truely doubt that this is an instance of a fight for a prey item, i would assume that this is caused by the great whites natural predator, the killer whale. Anyone else agree?
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Permalink Reply by Kelvin Murray on -
Often when sharks and indeed orca predate on sharks, they will target the liver[with sharks more liver oil=bigger liver=greater buoyancy=bigger size]. There has been some study into infrequent attacks by orca on white sharks off the Farallons and the resulting mayhem caused amongst the local shark population. Footage shot by tourists on wildlife cruises led researchers to suggest that the orca were aware of tonic immobility in sharks and that they grasped the animal just behind the head and held it upside down at the surface. Bear in mind that individual pods of orca develop unique hunting techniques related to their local prey, this information being passed down the generation. The orca at the Farallons may hunt whites in this way, but the orca in Australian waters may not.
I would guess that this photograph is of a younger shark which has been attacked by a larger shark. The young age may explain why the pectoral fin appears outsized, and certainly young sharks are predated by the bigger ones. The step on the transom, the rope and the water splashes all give hints to the size of the animal, but nothing definitive.
It is an interesting photograph, but it is a pity that it was sensationalised, rather than an opportunity to learn and share more about the complex lives of these animals.
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Permalink Reply by John Natoli on -
They are some interesting points that you raise Kelvin.
Orcas are not commonly found in the area where this shark was caught (i.e. originally hooked on a drum line), although a pod of orcas had been seen in waters close by within the same 3 - 6 mth period of this attack. The orcas are known to sometimes venture into the waters around the Gold Coast, Australia during the season when the humpback whales are migrating up and down our coast line.
One of the issues that sparked much press around this 'event' is the concern of 'drum lines' and 'shark nets' off our beaches. Many anti-shark nets campaigners expressed their concern that ...
a) drum lines and nets indiscriminately catch non-target species and threatened or endangered marine life
b) this photo is evidence that once an animal is snared on a line or in a net, that this only brings in more sharks to prey on the caught subject.
Unfortunately the sensationalism is always going to be there ... which is very sad, as it has the effect of further adding hysteria to the public at large who have no understanding of the magnificence of these animals and the roll they play in our eco system.
Kelvin Murray said:Often when sharks and indeed orca predate on sharks, they will target the liver[with sharks more liver oil=bigger liver=greater buoyancy=bigger size]. There has been some study into infrequent attacks by orca on white sharks off the Farallons and the resulting mayhem caused amongst the local shark population. Footage shot by tourists on wildlife cruises led researchers to suggest that the orca were aware of tonic immobility in sharks and that they grasped the animal just behind the head and held it upside down at the surface. Bear in mind that individual pods of orca develop unique hunting techniques related to their local prey, this information being passed down the generation. The orca at the Farallons may hunt whites in this way, but the orca in Australian waters may not.
I would guess that this photograph is of a younger shark which has been attacked by a larger shark. The young age may explain why the pectoral fin appears outsized, and certainly young sharks are predated by the bigger ones. The step on the transom, the rope and the water splashes all give hints to the size of the animal, but nothing definitive.
It is an interesting photograph, but it is a pity that it was sensationalised, rather than an opportunity to learn and share more about the complex lives of these animals.
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Permalink Reply by Kelvin Murray on
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Thanks John, I'm not too familiar with orca around Oz - I'm a bit of a cold water fish myself!
The more I look at this image, the more the bite, the head, the colour, and the light don't seem to fit. Hoax or not, it has certainly thrown up a number of issues concerning these beasties. It may be that 'there's no such thing as bad publicity' in that negative press creates an opportunity for more debunking of myths. Think about 'Jaws' - probably did more for raising the profile of whites in a good way, than it did bad.
But that is perhaps an eternal discussion! I'm just glad we have a site like this to swap our tales!
All the best, happy trails.
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