A group of fishermen were delighted when they caught a shark in the warm waters off Australia’s east coast.

So imagine their surprise when there was a bigger tug and they realised their catch was being swallowed by an even bigger fish.

This giant, weighing one and a quarter tonnes and measuring 20ft long, was caught off the north coast of New South Wales and is thought to be at least 40 years old.

Vic Hislop, who runs a shark museum in Queensland, was so excited by news of the catch that he bought the shark, which died as it was hauled to shore.

‘It’s a magnificent specimen, that’s for sure,’ said Mr Hislop. ‘I’m planning to freeze it and then put it on display at the shark museum.’

Some species of hammerheads are on the global endangered list but they are not renowned for attacking humans, unlike the man-eating great white shark.

What might be a warning for swimmers to exercise caution about where they chose to swim is Mr Hislop’s comment to Brisbane’s Courier Mail that ‘while this one is huge, it’s not the biggest one I’ve seen’.

Sharks are known to feed at dawn and dusk, so people are advised to avoid the ocean at those times to further reduce their small chance of a shark attack.

Hammerheads, which are found in warm waters around the world, get their name from the shape of their heads, which are flattened and extend sideways.

This is thought to help them move in close to their prey and to find food on the sea bed.

While they are not notorious for killing humans, the International Shark Attack file lists them as seventh among sharks that pose a danger to people, the most dangerous being the great white.

In recent years there have been 33 reported hammerhead attacks on humans, but none have been fatal.

story via dailymail

Surfer Brendan Denton, 35, survived a shark attack at a Port Alfred beach.

Surfer Brendan Denton, 35, survived a shark attack at a Port Alfred beach yesterday.

All the beaches in the area have been closed until further notice.

Denton was surfing at East Beach at about 10am yesterday when he felt a tug at his feet and realised it was a shark.

“I tried to fight the shark off, but it became (more) aggressive and started dragging me by the feet under the water,” Denton said.

When he released the leash attaching his ankle to the surfboard, the shark made off with the board, but only briefly.

While Denton was trying to make it back to shore, his surfboard resurfaced a few metres away and he used it to paddle to the beach.
His friend and other surfers, who had heard his screams and seen the splashing, helped him to get to a doctor.

Port Alfred police spokesperson Mali Govender said Denton’s injuries looked serious.

As he was wheeled into theatre for surgery, she told him she could see his feet. He replied by saying he could not feel them.

Before this, paramedics on the scene had said Denton may need to have the tendons on his feet and on the insides of both ankles re-attached.

Govender described the water at East Beach as “very murky”, saying sharks were usually found in water like that.

Juan Pretorius of the National Sea Rescue Institute said initial indications showed it was a bronze shark or a Zambezi bull shark that had attacked Denton, but they would wait for experts to investigate the bite marks.

original story via iol.co.za

A great white shark about 6 feet long and 150 pounds was caught by a fly fisherman off La Jolla last week.

It’s believed to be the first great white taken off the California coast using a fly rod and reel.

Jeff Patterson, director of sales for reel manufacturer Abel Automatics, was testing company products about five miles offshore when the white shark hit.

“The grab was instantaneous, and the shark cooperated with a quick left turn to allow the proper hook set,” said Patterson.

The fight lasted about 25 minutes. Patterson thought it was a mako shark until he got it close enough to the boat and skipper Conway Bowman identified it as a great white.

It is not legal in California to take great white sharks, which have been protected in all state waters since Jan. 1, 1994.

“Anglers cannot target great whites, and if caught accidentally while fishing for something else you have to immediately release them,” Department of Fish and Game marine biologist Carrie Wilson said.

Patterson released the shark after taking the picture shown here.

original story from LA times