The Dorsal Fin

According to a release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) the harvest of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier), great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran), scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), and smooth hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna zygaena) will be prohibited in state waters. The measure, which was voted on today, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2012.

The measure will also prohibit the “possession, sale and exchange” of any of the four species that are taken from state waters. However, the species may still be caught on a catch and release basis. The measure applies only to state waters and does not prohibit the harvest of these four species in adjacent federal waters.

YouTube user jajapick recently uploaded the above video shot in Tampa Bay. In the never ending battle between tarpon fishermen and great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran), another victory goes to the great hammerhead…but they’re not really keeping score.

WARNING: Video features coarse language.

A video posted by YouTube user Mikah1992 featuring what is described as a 12-14′ great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) eating a smaller 6′ blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) has been gaining a lot of views on YouTube over the past two weeks.

Part of the “viral appeal” of the video is likely the reactions of the guys on board the boat when the great hammerhead shark comes in for a free meal. According to the video description, the blacktip shark had been hooked for about 15 minutes prior to the arrival of the great hammerhead shark, which was described as being larger than the boat that the video was filmed from.

Great hammerhead sharks apparently don’t have a good concept of etiquette when it comes to fishing. The fishermen in the video above were attempting to land a tarpon near Boca Raton, Florida, when a great hammerhead showed up and seized their catch.

This isn’t the first time a video like this has shown up on YouTube, and it likely won’t be the last. To the credit of these guys, at least they didn’t almost stick their hands in the shark’s mouth. However, it does seem at one point that one of the guy’s on the boat thought it might be a good idea to grab onto the shark’s dorsal fin in an apparent attempt to discourage the great hammerhead from eating the tarpon. Aside from the notion that grabbing any shark’s dorsal fin is probably not a good idea, the technique seemed fairly ineffective anyway.

A “monster shark” is in the news again. Much like the previous “monster” shark reports, this one can apparently change size at will (or at the will of whatever particular media outlet is reporting the story). Unfortunately, this shark was killed by fishermen. Even more unfortunate is that Vic Hislop has purchased the shark’s carcass.

The supposed “monster” this time around is a hammerhead (presumably a great hammerhead, based on its size), which is being reported at various lengths. The Daily Mail reports that the hammerhead shark weighs “one and a quarter tonnes” and is “20ft long.” Most other outlets are reporting the shark to weigh 1,200 kg and measure 5m (approximately 16′) in length. Researchers estimate the shark to be forty years old.
(continue reading…)