The Dorsal Fin

NBC’s Today show has been fairly prolific with shark-related features over the past few weeks. The show recently interviewed C.J. Wickersham, a 21-year-old spearfisherman who was bitten by a 9′ bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) off Florida’s Anna Maria Island last month.

Wickersham’s friend Connor Bystrum witnessed the bite and immediately jumped in to assist him back to the boat. Once Wickersham was aboard the boat his friends used a rope as a tourniquet. Wickersham was rushed to shore where paramedics were waiting thanks to 911 call from another of his friends on the boat.

Wickersham’s injuries required multiple surgical procedures at St. Petersburg’s Bayfront Medical Center, according to the Anna Maria Islander. He was released from the trauma center after 6 days and is expected to fully recover.

UPDATE Looks like NBC pulled the video. NBC affiliate WLTZ still has print version of the story up. Check out the comments for some reader opinion on the story.

NBC’s Today ran a feature on Noel Tood, a Georgia teen who recently caught a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) measuring over 8′ in length and weighing 368 lbs. While bull sharks are often targeted by shark fishermen, the reason this story seems to be making headlines is due to the fact that the shark was caught in shallow freshwater. (Bull sharks are well-known for their ability to tolerate freshwater, and there are multiple documented cases of the species traveling great distances up rivers.)

Todd told NBC that he spotted two bull sharks in a shallow pool, and quickly grabbed his gear and hooked one of the sharks and dragged it to shore. Todd said that the shark that “got away” was much larger than the one he caught.

The NBC report mentions a theory that bull sharks are following shrimp boats back into the area, which might explain the presence of the species in what might be considered an abnormal location for them.

The Today Show really pulled out all the stops on this report when it comes to shark clichés. The clip has ominous music, multiple scenes from “Jaws,” and plenty of “man-eater” references. A fair amount of footage of a relatively harmless sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) also finds its way into the report.

Australia’s Ten News recently ran a feature on shark research being performed in Australian waters. The report focuses on tracking data of a female white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) named “Rachel,” who was tagged off Gold Coast, Queensland last June.

Since being tagged she has traveled south along the coast through New South Wales water and down toward Victoria waters before turning around heading north. According to researcher Jonathan Werry, the tagged white shark has traveled between 1,500-2,000 kilometers.

According to the report, the research team has tagged a total of 49 “dangerous” sharks, including multiple bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas). The team is studying the movement patterns of the sharks with the aim of protecting bathers.

KSDK.com is reporting that 12-year-old Nicholas Vollser was bitten by a shark last Thursday (July 7) off of Matagorda Island’s Sunday Beach near Port O’Connor, Texas.

The boy’s father, Cecil Vossler, told KSDK that a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) bit his son’s left. A friend (identified as Mark Constien by the Star Telegram) pulled the boy from the water and he was taken by boat to a helicopter, which flew him to Houston’s Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center. Nicholas has undergone “several surgeries” according to the report, and has at least three more to be performed.

Austin’s KXAN reports that a 22-year-old woman who was bitten by a shark in Christmas Bay was treated and released from a Galveston hospital and does not expect to have any permanent physical damage.

The shark bite occurred on Monday at at a beach on Follet’s Island, Texas. Kori Robertson was in waist-deep water when she felt a “jerk” on her leg. Upon exiting the water, the woman discovered bite marks on her upper right leg.

According to the KXAN report, doctors believe the woman was bitten by a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas).