The Dorsal Fin

A state medical examiner from North Carolina is seeking the opinion of George Burgess in the death of Richard Sneed. Sneed was reported missing on September 13 after he did not return from a late night swim. His body was found on the shore of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, according to NBC-2. The autopsy report listed shark attack as the cause of death for Sneed. However, News Channel WTKR, the medical examiner has requested Burgess’ opinion on the cause of death. Burgess expressed that it might be difficult to determine whether the shark bites Sneed sustained were the cause of death or had occurred post mortem, due to the fact that Sneed’s body had been in the water for several days.

The loss of Richard Sneed is a tragedy regardless of the cause of death. My condolences and sympathy go out to the friends and family of Mr. Sneed.

According to the Cape Cod Times, no aerial sightings of great white sharks have been reported in Chatham waters since September 8. While no sightings have been reported, the appearance of injured or dead seals are the only apparent of the white sharks presence in Cape Cod waters according to Chatham harbor master, Stuart Smith.

According to the PETA press release, PETA’s Pro-Shark Banner to Fly Over Cape Cod, the organization will be flying a banner over Lighthouse Beach in Chatham, Massachusetts today. Strangely, the banner, which will read "Dangerous Predator in Water–YOU! Go Veg!" suspiciously reads more like a pro-vegetarian message than it does a pro-shark one. Perhaps, PETA is trying to take a cue from Finding Nemo, and the message itself is actually intended for the sharks to encourage them to switch to a vegetarian diet, which could result in a healthier lifestyle for the sharks. That would certainly be a "pro-shark" message.

All kidding aside, the PETA press release states that the message is part of campaign "raise awareness of the plight of sea animals who are killed for food." The press release goes on to discuss the detrimental effects of overfishing on marine species, including sharks. While I certainly support efforts to raise awareness about responsible conservation efforts, I’m not sure that pro-vegetarian grandstanding, really constitutes pro-shark efforts, per se.

While the concept of, "If everybody (and every animal) was a vegetarian, no marine animal would ever be killed for food,” is not lost on me, I don’t really see this as a realistic solution to overfishing or shark conservation efforts, at all. I’m also not convinced that the shock value of over-the-top, attention-grabbing efforts (such as pointing the finger at anyone within the visibility range of a banner, and calling him/her a "dangerous predator") actually do anything to help a cause. Sometimes, it seems like certain campaigns are intentionally offensive, in order to simply draw attention. While drawing attention is typically the goal of these types of campaigns, if the general public is offended by a campaign, the underlying message of it is going to be lost. That’s just my two cents, though, and you can’t even buy a gumball with two cents any more.

According the AP, three more great white sharks were tagged yesterday (09/08/09) off of Monomoy Island near Chatham, Massachusetts. This brings the total number of white sharks tagged to five, in the past week (two great white sharks were tagged in the area on Saturday). Several Chatham beaches continued to remain closed due to the presence of the great white sharks in the area.

CBS news also reported on this story, but they apparently could not resist the temptation to play up the "Jaws" angle, as seen in the video segment below.

From a shark research standpoint, the tagging of five white sharks in the Atlantic is exciting news. Hopefully, the data acquired as a result of the taggings will lead to more insight into migratory behaviors of Atlantic-bound great white sharks.

In the "Why is this even considered newsworthy?" story of the week, former Knight Rider, Baywatch, and YouTube video star, David Hasselhof, was reported to have a supposedly "close call" with a tiger shark while filming a shark-related television series for the Underwater Channel, according to the Houston Chronicle According to the article, Hasselhoff was given a scare when a 10′ (3m) female tiger shark began swimming toward him with her mouth open. According to Hasselhoff, he "held out the bait, hoping that would keep her happy." The shark took the bait and then "retreated."

If I didn’t know any better, based on Hasselfhoff’s account, it would seem as though the shark was reacting to the "bait" that he was holding rather than Hasselhoff, himself. The last time I checked, "bait" is used to lure and entice, so I’m not sure why it’s news that baiting a tiger shark would result in the tiger shark responding accordingly to the situation.