The Dorsal Fin

Kirk Gatrich, a researcher for Florida International University who was bitten on the arm by a lemon shark about two weeks ago, says he’ll continue to work with sharks and is “completely comfortable” being around large sharks. Gatrich and a colleague were leaning over the side of a boat measuring the lemon shark when it turned its head and grabbed Gatrich by the arm.

According to WSVN-TV Gatrich is working on research that deals with the dwindling number of shark populations in the world’s oceans.

According to the BBC, a staff member at Scotland’s Deep Sea World was bitten on the hand by an angel shark while diving in the aquarium’s main ocean display. The staff diver sustained 15-20 lacerations measuring approximately 1cm in the length from the bite. Angel sharks are bottom dwelling flat-body sharks that prey on fish and crustaceans and can measure up to 5′ (1.5m) in length. They generally are not considered dangerous to humans and do not feed on large prey items. However, they have been known to bite humans if threatened, provoked or accidentally stepped on. The aquarium staff diver was treated for his injuries and did not require hospitalization.

The video below from YouTube user kevincho48 documents an account of an angel shark biting a diver.

The media outlets that covered this story managed to keep things objective. I was pleasantly surprised to see that none of the "usual suspects" jumped on this story and turned it into something it wasn’t by making the angel shark out to be a man-eating monster. Perhaps, things are getting better for sharks in the media world.

According to the Virginia Pilot, North Carolina’s medical examiners office has reverted back to its original conclusion in the cause of death of a Pennsylvania man who went missing while swimming off Corolla Beach, NC, last month. Earlier today, the Virginia Pilot reported the medical examiner’s office had ruled the cause of death as an accidental drowning. According to the latest Virginia Pilot article, the cause of death was reverted back to a shark attack after another marine biologist reviewed the evidence. However, Crystal Baity, a spokesperson for East Carolina University, where the autopsy occurred, said that the "continued uncertainty" will require that the case be further reviewed. Baity said she was unaware of how long the final review would take.

The flip-flopping in the ruling likely explains why the story appeared and then disappeared from WAVY-TV 10′s website yesterday. Hopefully, the medical examiner’s office can come to a solid conclusion soon.