The Dorsal Fin

NBC Washington is reporting that an 8′ (2.4m) long bull shark was caught on August 31 in the Potomac River. According to the report, Willy Dean was fishing in Maryland’s St. Mary’s County in hopes of netting cownose rays for a biologist from Solomons Island, MD. Dean inadvertently netted the bull shark, which put up “quite a fight,” according to the fisherman. Dean says he will likely have the shark’s head “mounted” and is currently keeping the carcass in his freezer, according to the report.

Photos of the shark carcass are posted at NBC Washington.

WRBL 3 News is reporting that according to un-confirmed reports a Columbus, Georgia fisherman and a runner spotted a shark fin in the Chattahoochee River. According to the story, the fisherman broke his line while fishing and when the runner came to assist him, they both saw the shark fin, causing some to theorize that a bull shark may be in the river.

Bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) can tolerate freshwater and have been known to swim far up rivers, but the sighting of a bull shark near Columbus in the Chattahoochee would certainly be an extremely unusual spectacle. At the time of this writing, a non-scientific online poll by WRBL 3 News indicated that of those polled, 53% believed that the story of the Chattahoochee bull shark could be true.

WARNING: Video features footage of a shark being shot with a handgun.

Seriously, don’t try this at home, kids…or on a boat with your kids. This really does appear to be a video of somebody firing a handgun at a hooked shark from a boat, which appears to have at least three children on-board. According to the video information, a “7 ft bull shark gets shot in the head after a 45 minute long fight.” The video information also goes on to say the bullet hit the line and the shark survived.

The Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Tournament has released a video of a bull shark being tagged during the competition. The catch-and-release tournament offers an alternative to the traditional shark harvest competitions. Competitors and researchers work hand-in-hand to promote responsible competitive fishing and shark conservation. Mote Marine Lab researchers tagged the 8’2″ female bull shark, which was caught by tournament competitor Clyde “Bucky” Dennis.

Dennis achieved a level of notoriety and infamy in 2006 when he caught and killed a pregnant great hammerhead shark that was carrying 55 pups, and then again in 2009 with the killing of another large female great hammerhead. The IUCN lists the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) as a globally endangered species.

It’s refreshing to see Dennis participating in a no-kill situation that might very well yield some valuable research toward protecting future shark populations.

A quick video follow-up on the guy driving around with a bull shark carcass in his pick-up truck in St. Petersburg. According to WTSP-10, Josh Lipert drove the shark to Gandy Beach and “carved it into steaks, which he gave to friends.” Mmmmm, bull shark steaks. Nom nom nom. (Wait, BULL SHARK steaks? Seriously? Note to my friends: please don’t ever give me bull shark steaks.)

Lipert kept the jaws as a “souvenir” (aka trophy).