The Dorsal Fin

According to an article at Wired.com, scientists have identified a new species of ghostshark, which is actually classified in the chimera family. The newly identified species, Hydrolagus melanophasma, was described by Doug Long (California Academy of Sciences) as, “a big weird looking freaky thing.” The species also has an organ extending from its forehead called a tentaculum. The tentaculum was described as a “club with spike,” which some presume is used in the mating process. While the species was recently identified, it was "discovered" long before in the sense that specimens of the species existed at the Scripps Oceanographic Institute and simply had not been identified. To read the entire article and see a photo of Hydrolagus melanophasma, head on over to Wired.com

A state medical examiner from North Carolina is seeking the opinion of George Burgess in the death of Richard Sneed. Sneed was reported missing on September 13 after he did not return from a late night swim. His body was found on the shore of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, according to NBC-2. The autopsy report listed shark attack as the cause of death for Sneed. However, News Channel WTKR, the medical examiner has requested Burgess’ opinion on the cause of death. Burgess expressed that it might be difficult to determine whether the shark bites Sneed sustained were the cause of death or had occurred post mortem, due to the fact that Sneed’s body had been in the water for several days.

The loss of Richard Sneed is a tragedy regardless of the cause of death. My condolences and sympathy go out to the friends and family of Mr. Sneed.

According to the Fraser Coast Chronicle, a psychological thriller, entitled "The Reef," will begin filming in Hervey Bay. The plot of the film is centered around a group of friends, who are "stalked by a relentless 15-foot great white shark" after their boat capsizes while sailing at The Great Barrier Reef. The film will feature actual great white shark footage shot off the coast of South Australia.

The movie is reportedly "based on a true story" which doesn’t really mean much, when it comes to the horror genre. Other horror/thriller pictures such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Strangers, and the upcoming The Fourth Kind have made the "based on a true story" claim without really having much of their story-lines based in reality, in the least.

Based on the teaser trailer and the fact that the film is being marketed as a thriller, with a "relentless" white shark, it’s probably safe to assume that the movie won’t be helping the image of the often misrepresented shark species, although I don’t expect that this film will get the kind of exposure that a film like Jaws does. In the end, it’s just a movie, and those who are able to tell the difference between fact and fiction probably won’t be swayed by it, either way.

According to the Cape Cod Times, no aerial sightings of great white sharks have been reported in Chatham waters since September 8. While no sightings have been reported, the appearance of injured or dead seals are the only apparent of the white sharks presence in Cape Cod waters according to Chatham harbor master, Stuart Smith.

According to the PETA press release, PETA’s Pro-Shark Banner to Fly Over Cape Cod, the organization will be flying a banner over Lighthouse Beach in Chatham, Massachusetts today. Strangely, the banner, which will read "Dangerous Predator in Water–YOU! Go Veg!" suspiciously reads more like a pro-vegetarian message than it does a pro-shark one. Perhaps, PETA is trying to take a cue from Finding Nemo, and the message itself is actually intended for the sharks to encourage them to switch to a vegetarian diet, which could result in a healthier lifestyle for the sharks. That would certainly be a "pro-shark" message.

All kidding aside, the PETA press release states that the message is part of campaign "raise awareness of the plight of sea animals who are killed for food." The press release goes on to discuss the detrimental effects of overfishing on marine species, including sharks. While I certainly support efforts to raise awareness about responsible conservation efforts, I’m not sure that pro-vegetarian grandstanding, really constitutes pro-shark efforts, per se.

While the concept of, "If everybody (and every animal) was a vegetarian, no marine animal would ever be killed for food,” is not lost on me, I don’t really see this as a realistic solution to overfishing or shark conservation efforts, at all. I’m also not convinced that the shock value of over-the-top, attention-grabbing efforts (such as pointing the finger at anyone within the visibility range of a banner, and calling him/her a "dangerous predator") actually do anything to help a cause. Sometimes, it seems like certain campaigns are intentionally offensive, in order to simply draw attention. While drawing attention is typically the goal of these types of campaigns, if the general public is offended by a campaign, the underlying message of it is going to be lost. That’s just my two cents, though, and you can’t even buy a gumball with two cents any more.