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.

A new game based on the “Jaws” franchise is now available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod. “Jaws Revenge” was released yesterday and features classic side-scrolling gameplay. Players will control a rampaging great white shark, and it looks like the theme of the game is to eat, crash into, and/or blow-up everything in sight. Players will also be able to “upgrade” their shark, but alas, it does not seem that you can “frickin laser beams” on the shark’s head as an upgrade.

It appears that nothing in the water or the air is safe in this game, including massive yachts and hang-gliding thrill seekers. Fear not, though, this is just a ridiculous videogame, and the behavior of the ginormous rampaging shark in the game is not representative of actual white shark behavior.

“Jaws Revenge” is on sale now at Apple’s iTunes app store for $0.99.

Surgeons are crediting the quick response of bystanders with saving the life of British shark attack victim Michael Cohen. Cohen’s right leg was severed by a bite from a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) while swimming of Fish Hoek beach in Capetown, South Africa.

The Daily Mail reports that Hugh Till and Douglas Drysdale, who were in the area trying to spot whales, witnessed the attack and entered the water to assist Cohen back to shore. Bystanders applied a tourniquet to Cohen’s leg using a wetsuit and belt quickly after he was brought to beach following the attack. Surgeon Andrew Nicol told reporters that the quick action and proper first aid applied by those on the scene helped saved Cohen’s life.

The UK’s Channel 4 News reports that lifeguards told Cohen not to enter the water, due to three white sharks being spotted over a 90 minute period. According to the report, Cohen told the lifeguards that he was going in and that they should blame him and not the sharks, in the event of an attack. As of yesterday, Cohen remains hospitalized, recovering from his injuries, according to The Daily Mail.

KHON2 reports that a veteran canoe paddler had a encounter with a shark that bit his canoe twice. Tom Bartlett was paddling about a half-mile from shore off of Kauai, Hawaii when the shark bit the front of his boat, released it and then came back and bit the canoe again. While Bartlett tells KHON2 that the shark wasn’t “ripping or tearing” at his canoe, the damage was enough to cause the vessel to take on water and begin sinking. Bartlett was able to paddle to shore despite the compromise to his canoe’s hull.

Bartlett did not know what kind of shark bit his canoe, but he says the bite marks indicate that its jaw was about 13-inches wide. While his canoe sustained some damage, Bartlett walked away from the encounter unscathed and was thankful that he himself was not bitten.

Australia’s Ten News reports that a 21-year-old man was fatally attacked by a shark on Sunday while body-boarding in Bunker Bay. The victim’s friends were able to get him to the beach after the attack, but his injuries proved to be too severe too resuscitate him. Friends described the victim as having a passion for the ocean.

The beach has been closed and spotter planes are being used to search for the shark involved, which is believed to be either a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) or a bronze whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus). Ten News reports that some are calling for the shark responsible to be killed, but they went on to say that authorities are not likely to kill the animal.

Friends of the victim made a make-shift memorial to him on the beach using a piece of surfboard.