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Tag: sharks

  • Sharks Are Trying to Eat Your Internet

    Here’s a scary shark week story for you.

    Under the sea, there is internet – or at least the internet’s transport system. Ok, so let’s go with ‘internet’.

    Anyway, there are around 200 fiber optic cables in this undersea network that transports data across the world. Last year alone, these submarine cables carried 51 billion gigabytes per month. Long story short, these are some very important cables.

    Apparently, that fate of the world’s internet isn’t a primary concern of the ocean’s scariest predators. According to Google, asshole sharks are trying to eat their cables.

    At a Google Cloud Roadshow event in Boston, Google Cloud product manager Dan Belcher said that Google has had to reinforce their fiber optic cables with a Kevlar-like material, because sharks keep trying to eat them.

    Sharks are chomping at underwater fiber optics cables y’all, this is serious.

    As Network World points out, it’s probably our fault. The electrical emissions from the cables might be tricking the sharks into thinking they’ve found their next lunch.

    Apparently, living creatures aren’t the only things that need to watch out for sharks. Come on, sharks, take Bruce’s advice – cables are friends, not food!

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Chinese Fisherman Nets Whale Shark

    Chinese Fisherman Nets Whale Shark

    A Chinese fisherman netted a 14-foot-long 4,000 pound whale shark over the weekend, and was able to strap the carcass to the roof of a truck and haul it to a fish market in Xiaozhi.

    Fishing for the endangered whale shark is illegal in China, but Fujian province Captain Cai Chengzhu claims that the massive fish was accidently caught in his nets, and died while his crew tried to release it.

    “It’s believed that the giant creature broke the net and got inside to eat the fish we caught. It was really unfortunate and we did our best to free it, but having caught it and because it was already dead, it seemed a shame to waste it,” Chengzhu commented.

    The fisherman was hoping to get between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan (between $1618.52 and $3237.03 USD) for his hard-to-conceal whale shark, before being nabbed by Fujian fishery officials.

    The shark ended up being processed, and the meat was auctioned off at charity prices.

    The whale shark, or Rhincodon typus, is a gentle, slow-moving filter feeding shark and the largest of extant fish species. The shark is known to feed off fish trapped in nets, which corroborates Captain Chengzhu’s explanation for his catch.

    The whale shark lives in tropical and warm oceans and is an open ocean-dwelling species. Its average lifespan is roughly 70 years, though some individuals live for a century. The whale shark is the largest existing nonmammalian vertebrate, with the largest confirmed specimen weighing in at 47,000 pounds at 41.5 feet long.

    Image via YouTube

  • Delaware Shark Bite: Locals Startled By Rare Attack

    Shark attack.

    If there were ever two words that could terrify a person into living a landlocked existence, it would be those.

    The level of fear that sharks create in people who’ve never even seen a shark in real life is amazing, especially considering how rare shark attacks are.

    You’re far more likely to step outside your house and be struck by lightning than to ever suffer a severe, let alone fatal, shark encounter.

    Still, whenever such attacks occur, they are inevitably big news. Bigger still when they occur in a place not exactly known for shark attacks: Delaware.

    A 16-year-old boy was attacked on Monday afternoon at Cape Henlopen State Park.

    The victim was standing in approximately five feet of water when he suddenly felt something grab his arm.

    The teen looked down and saw what appeared to be a shark. He hit the animal with his right hand and it swam off.

    After a state fisheries biologist named Scott Newlin examined the victim’s arm, he was able to confirm the victim had been bitten by a juvenile shark.

    Officials closed the beach shortly after the attack. Though the beach was reopened on Tuesday afternoon, swimming is not permitted as authorities continue to work out whether or not there are additional sharks in the area. Officials want to be sure the waters are safe for swimmers.

    Collin O’Mara, the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, said that there are many variety of fish in the area, but said there are likely no sharks. He believes that Monday’s shark attack was an “isolated incident”.

    This doesn’t quite match what Newlin said about the incident. The biologist pointed out that juvenile sharks tend to be in the area at this time of year. He believes the carcass of a sturgeon may have drawn the juvenile that attacked the teen victim into shallow waters.

    Fortunately for the teen, the shark was likely smaller than three and a half feet. Newlin said that if the juvenile were bigger, it would have been strong enough to pull the young man underwater, potentially drowning him.

    Image via Amy Cherry, Twitter

  • Australian Shark Attack Kills Woman

    Australian Shark Attack Kills Woman

    A shark attack in Australia has left a woman dead. The woman was swimming with a group of friends near the village of Tathra when she decided to try to swim from the wharf to the beach. Hundreds of swimmers visit the area to take part in the Thathra Wharf to Waves event and swim the same stretch each year. The total distance between the wharf and the beach is about 2,970 feet.

    During the swim, the woman who was said to be in her 60’s, was attacked. Details of the attack were not available and the woman’s name has not been released. A search is underway to find the remains of the woman and to possibly locate the shark. Police are not sure what species of shark is responsible for the attack or how big the shark is.

    Local council general manager Leanne Barnes said the victim was part of a group of Tathra locals who meet every morning to swim to the wharf and back.

    Shark attacks are common in Australia, and fatal attacks are occurring more often. In November, two men were killed by sharks on both the east and west coasts. The remains of several people have also been found in the area. One set of remains appeared to have shark bites, but police were not sure if the bites occurred before or after death or if a shark attack was the cause of death.The area where the recent fatal attack occurred is a popular tourist destination and busy beach area.

    “It’s a beautiful little coastal village and this is one of those sad things that can happen,” a local resident said.

    Shark attacks can happen without warning and most experts believe that shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity. Swimmers and waders can look like seals or other animals that sharks commonly feed on, and they mistakenly attack people, thinking they are prey.

    This is also one of the reasons most shark attacks are not fatal. When the shark realizes it has bitten something it is not familiar with, it spits it back out or releases the victim.

    If you are planning a trip to the beach this year, stay alert and swim in areas that are monitored by lifeguards.

    What type of shark do you think is responsible for the attack?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Marshall Islands Castaway Survives 13 Months Out at Sea

    The story of an El Salvadoran man who allegedly was lost at sea for more than a year almost mirrors one of Hollywood’s most adventurous and heart-felt films, “Castaway,” which was released in 2000 starring Tom Hanks.

    The realistic castaway, 37-year-old Jose Salvador Alvarenga, was discovered Monday washed ashore on a tiny island of the Marshall Islands. The islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, 5,500 miles away from Mexico.

    His story entails a 13-month ordeal at sea after leaving on a shark-fishing trip with a fellow friend.

    Alvarenga tells investigators that he was originally from El Salvador, but lived in Mexico for the past 15 years where he worked as a fisherman catching sharks.

    According to the longhaired, bearded man, he and his traveling friend Xiquel set sail from Mexico on Dec. 2012 when their engine died. They were then propelled off course by a storm and left adrift.

    Xiquel was said to be the teenage son of Alvarenga’s boss. After a few months abandoned at sea, the young boy starved to death.

    Alvarenga recalled his own survival experience to officials, one that involved surviving off of turtles, raw fish, bird blood and prayer.

    “He has a story that can be verified so those are the next steps to find out when he left Mexico and then add up the evidence and the information he has provided. But certainly if what he is saying is true, he is one of the best survivalists around,” U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hart Armbruster told NBC News.

    His health is shockingly in good condition, except for a minor case of low blood pressure and swollen limbs.

    Some officials fail to believe that a castaway could survive such an extended long period of time without adequate survival tools. However, there have been similar stories in the past where fishermen have survived up to nine months lost at sea.

    “It does sound like an incredible story and I’m not sure if I believe his story,” said Gee Bing, secretary of foreign affairs for the Marshall Islands. “When we saw him, he was not really thin compared to other survivors in the past. I may have some doubts. Once we start communicating with where he’s from, we’ll be able to find out more information.”

    Although he appears to be a bit flustered and incoherent, Alvarenga was able to provide the names of his parents and siblings.

    His brother and brother-in-law have both been contacted by authorities and say that Alvarenga definitely looks like their long-lost family member; but they are not getting their hopes up just yet.

    Officials are still investigating the details of Alvarenga’s account to validate his identity and “miraculous” story.

    Alvarenga has been taken to a hospital on the Majuro Island for further medical treatment and examination.

    Here’s a list of some of the luckiest survivors.

     Image via Youtube

  • Shark Photobomb, Just When You Thought it Was Safe!

    Some types of sharks such as great whites have a reputation for being fierce predators, the type that can easily capture prey. So, when a shark is noticed as part of the backdrop within a family picture after-the-fact, surprise is one expected emotion. On Friday, June Emerson snapped photos of her family enjoying time at Manhattan Beach. Emerson’s 12-year-old son Quinn is shown surfing in one of the photos in front of what appears to be an image of either a shark or a dolphin.

    According to June Emerson, there are many who have concluded that the marine creature was a shark. “It was quite a shock to see [the photo].” Emerson said before adding, “Many local surfers and lifeguards have seen this and believe it to be a shark. Of course, I told my kids it was a dolphin, as we live at the beach and are in the waters here almost daily.”

    The thought of being within feet of a shark may sound exciting and thrilling to some; however, Emerson shared a different take on the experience when interviewed by CBS2/KCAL9. “I’m not sure what it was, but it definitely scared me when I thought it might be a shark,” she said.

    According to the Shark Research Committee, sharks are a diverse species. “Some sharks give live birth, some lay eggs. Some are carnivores and others survive on phytoplankton and zooplankton. Some sharks do not reach maturity until they are more than 10 years of age,” the Shark Research Committee website explains. Humans have entered the domain of many types of sharks.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwubcIRkV6k

    The Shark Research Committee details three types of known shark encounters including: an unprovoked shark attack distinguished by an aggressive “striking” or display, a shark encounter where the shark circles the human without leading to any sort of violence, and white shark predation that involves the shark hunting down, capturing, and eating prey.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YVp3U_5mqI

    Image Via Twitter

  • Sharknado Is Coming To Netflix In A Few Days

    Sharknado was the talk of the Internet back in the summer, and it’s finally about to become available to stream on Netflix, meaning many will get their first chance to see it.

    We’ve just learned that the movie will hit Netflix on November 5th (you can already get the DVD if you use Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service).

    Sharknado streaming on netflix

    Sharknado is a SyFy original, and even made its way to the big screen. That’s not something that happens with these films very often. But with a cast like Ian Ziering, Tara Reid and John Heard, it just makes sense. The description is as follows:

    When a freak hurricane swamps Los Angeles, thousands of sharks are swept up in tornadoes and deposited all over the city, where they terrorize the shocked residents. Among them is bar owner Fin, who must rescue his estranged wife and daughter.

    What did you think it would be?

    Enjoy.

    Sharknado 2: The Second One is slated for a 2014 release.

    Images: SyFy (YouTube) / Netflix

  • Walking Shark Discovered Off Indonesian Island Halmahera

    Dr. Mark Erdmann, senior advisor to the Indonesian Marine Program for Conservation International was involved in the discovery of a new species of shark on the reefs of eastern Indonesian island Halmahera. One that walks. Just take a look:

    Erdmann writes:

    The shark, which has the endearing quality of using its fins to “walk” across the ocean floor, calls attention to the fact that the vast majority of Indonesia’s elasmobranchs are harmless to humans and lead fascinating but little-known lives beneath the sea. Indeed, CI has chosen the Raja Ampat endemic species of walking shark, locally known as kalabia, as the mascot for its flagship marine conservation education program there. With a clever strategy, the new walking shark could similarly serve as a local ambassador for marine conservation in Halmahera!

    He says the future of Indonesian sharks (and rays) has done “an about-face from bleak to increasingly bright.” He talks more about this in a blog post (linked above).

    Image: Conservation International

  • Maui Shark Attacks: 2 Victims Reported In One Week

    Maui is a lovely, tranquil place that seems like home no matter where you’re from; largely known as a honeymoon destination, it’s also a wonderful place to get away and relax. This week, however, has been a bad week for the island, as two people have reported violent shark attacks on two different beaches.

    Kiowa Gatewood was surfing off Oahu’s White Plains Beach last Sunday when he says he was attacked by a tiger shark.

    “I was sitting on my board, when all of a sudden I saw this shark come out of the water and grab my leg,” the 19-year-old said. “From there, I had this instinct to like, hit it with my left hand and then it let go and turned around and swam away.”

    Gatewood has undergone surgery and is now recovering. But on Wednesday, Evvone Cashman said she was swimming about 30 feet from shore at Ulua Beach in Wailea when a massive shark swam up, bit her, and then swam away. She said everything happened so fast, and the water was so murky, that she didn’t even get a good look at the creature. She suffered a 15-inch gash on her spine and injuries to her hands.

    “I must have had my hands up in front of my face. I think my head was above water, if I remember correctly. I don’t know because it happened so fast. I didn’t see him coming. I didn’t see him leave. He just came and hit me hard and bit me hard and I just took off to the shore as fast as I could,” Cashman said.

    Doctors believe, by the size of the wounds, that Cashman was attacked by a 25-foot shark. The beach was closed right after the attack but reopened the next day.

  • Sharknado Is Coming to Theaters, and That’s Awesome…Right?

    If you thought the Sharknado craze was waning, think again. The SyFy network’s B-movie and award winner for most accurate title of all time (it features shark tornados, so, you know) is coming to the big screen.

    According to THR, Sharknado is coming to a cinema near you. Regal Cinemas have announced that they will put on midnight shows around the country on August 2nd. Apparently, the film is coming to roughly 200 theaters around the U.S.

    SyFy has been airing ridiculous (..ly awesome?) made-for-TV movies like this more years, but something about Sharknado struck a chord with the internet – especially on social media sites like Twitter. I guess it had something to do with the sharks and tornados. Go figure.

    “You know how audiences have had fun with Rocky Horror Picture Show over the years. If the internet reactions to this film are any indication, then our moviegoers are primed and ready to enjoy Sharknado larger than life in cinemas,” says Chris Sylvia, Regal’s digital marketing head. “Regal is proud to be giving our guests this chance to fuel the social media whirlwind by inviting friends to come to the show and tweeting reactions.”

    That won’t be the last sharknado you see either, as SyFy has confirmed that they will be making a sequel (working title: Sharknado 2). It’s set to hit the network some time in 2014. The sharks will invade New York City in that sure-to-be-hit.

    And don’t forget Ghost Shark. For the love of all that’s good and holy, don’t you dare forget about Ghost Shark.

  • Sharknado: The B Movie That Conquered Twitter

    Few things in this world are as fantastic and all-around fun as a campy, so-bad-it’s-good B movie. From the crowds that flock to see “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in droves or those who swear by the ever infamous masterpiece, “The Room,” one would be hard pressed to not find at least one person on their friend list who dabbles in the tacky delights that are B movies. This insatiable love for B movies took over Twitter yesterday with the looming debut of the ScyFy channel original film, “Sharknado.”

    Scyfy channel is not a stranger to B movies; other titles that have ran on the channel include “Sharktopus,” “Mega Shark,” “Mansquito,” and “Mongolian Death Worm.” What stands out about “Sharknado” and separates it from the herd, however, if the way it managed to completely conquer Twitter. The tag began to trend yesterday, and blew up Twitter feeds (and a few other social media sites) across the web. Even celebrities and political officials joined in on the fun, including Los Angeles’ mayor.

    This writer gathered with a group of friends yesterday for a viewing party and is confident in saying that the film did not fail to achieve everything the hype brought hope for. Though the ScyFy channel’s viewer ratings did not increase significantly, there was enough interest generated for ScyFy to announce that they would be scheduling an encore presentation for Thursday. Though, admist all this joy and hype, we all mustn’t forget to remember that the sharks are the true victims in this film, revealing a deeper meaning, according to writer Thunder Levin, in this wonderful interview (that you should definitely go read, right now, in fact).

    “What does it say about humans that when poor displaced sharks are ravaged by nature’s uncaring fury we try to kill them with chainsaws? I think we need to take a good long look in the mirror over that one.” [sic]

    So true, Thunder. So true.

  • Teen Rides Shark In The Gulf Of Mexico

    Teen Rides Shark In The Gulf Of Mexico

    A 19-year old spotted his opportunity to hitch a ride on a whale shark recently while on vacation in the Gulf of Mexico and took it, grabbing the creature’s fin for a photo op.

    Chris Kreis, who was with his family at the time, saw the 30-foot long shark coming at him in the water and knew he had to take a chance.

    “I decided, you know what, maybe I should go try and swim with him. I might not be able to do it ever again,” Kreis told ABC News. “When I started holding on I felt the whale shark it started moving itself, it felt the drag and it didn’t really want me on there so I let go and that’s it.”

    The ride didn’t last long, however; Kreis says the whole thing took maybe nine or ten seconds.

    Whale sharks are gentler than some of their counterparts, feeding mostly on plankton. They can grow to be quite large, however, some as long as a school bus. But despite their calm nature, experts say it’s dangerous to make contact with them.

    “When people spend a lot of time and pressure on a fish it takes away a slime that covers the fish,” marine biologist Bruce Neill told NBC2. “They need that layer to stay healthy. Losing it potentially has negative health impacts for the fish.”

    There have been other stories in recent months of people interacting with water-dwellers; one woman was arrested after photos of her hitching a ride on a manatee went viral, and two men allegedly baited a mother manatee and her baby with a water hose in Florida before doing cannonballs in the water, right on top of them. The men faced stiff fines for the act, as it is illegal in Florida to harm or harass the animals.

  • Tour A Creepy, Abandoned Shark Museum With Google Street View

    Google is really onto something with Street View, and the company is really just getting started, now that it’s got the Trekker out on missions. Still, while Google has had a tremendous amount of outdoor imagery for quite sometime, the indoor imagery is a more recent endeavor, and as we’re seeing, Google is taking us inside all kinds of interesting places.

    Reddit user RMartinChi pointed out this abandoned shark museum in Japan that Google lets you virtually walk through. Here are a few shots from within:

    Shark Museum

    null

    Shark Museum

    Shark Museum

    Shark Museum

    Also spotted on reddit: Google Maps Street View Captures Couple Having Sex On The Side Of The Road.

  • Sharks Escape Into Mall After Tank Breaks

    Sharks Escape Into Mall After Tank Breaks

    Sharks Escape Into Mall – that sounds like the perfect B-movie title, doesn’t it? Too bad Hollywood can never be as creative as reality when it comes to the kind of stories that exemplify the phrase “Truth is stranger than fiction.”

    RT reports that 15 people were injured when a tank containing three lemon sharks, dozens of other fish species and turtles exploded on December 19. Those injured suffered cuts and bruises caused by the 15-centimeter thick glass. All three sharks died shortly thereafter due to a lack of oxygen. The other fish presumably died as well, but the turtles should be alright.

    The aquarium was installed two years ago, so why did it suddenly break now? Some customers speculated that a sudden drop in temperature was the cause. The police are currently investigating, however, and an official cause will be forthcoming.

    As for the management that built the aquarium in the first place, they said that they will not build another aquarium again. It’s obvious why after the potential for lawsuits from customers and the loss of expensive assets. Those sharks probably didn’t come cheap.

  • Sharks With Frickin’ Laser Beams Attached to Their Frickin’ Heads

    Marine Bioligist Luke Tipple has finally done what Number 2 never could, provide us with sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads.

    The project was sponsored by Wicked Lasers, a consumer laser manufacturer in Hong Kong, that keeps the world well stocked in high-powered handheld lasers.

    “This was definitely a world first,” Tipple told Wired. “Initially, I told them no. I thought it was a frivolous stunt. But then I considered that it would give us an opportunity to test our clips and attachments, and whatever is attached to that clip, I really don’t care. It was a low-powered laser that couldn’t be dangerous to anyone, and there’s actually useful applications in having a laser attached to the animal.”

    Adding, “I figure everyone deserves a warm meal”.

    But not really. The useful application he is referring to is testing whether or not sharks are repulsed by light of certain wavelengths. The conclusion is that anecdotal evidence is false, and the sharks are actually attracted to the light. Though Tipple admits further testing is required.

    The test also proved useful in showing a sharks relative position to its prey when on the hunt. Marine professionals may find this information incredibly in-credible, as there is no scientific testing to follow up these observations, only the observations themselves.

    (image)

    The main focus was the testing of the new clamp apparatis that can be used to house real scientific equipment. The clamp is non-intrusive and dissolves after a period of time, so a shark isn’t swimming around with equipment on its back its whole life. According to Tipple, in his interview with wired, the tests went well. “The shark didn’t really like it when I initially deployed the clamp,” says Tipple, “but after a few seconds it returned to normal behavior. The clamp itself isn’t strong enough to cause any pain, and the dorsal fin is actually not very sensitive due to it being composed primarily of cartilage.”

    Tipple has met some criticism for the stunt. Opponents say it is nothing more than a publicity stunt for Tipple and Wicked Lasers, who set up a Facebook promotion to gain support. Tipple is a sort of celebrity marine biologist, appearing on shows like Mythbusters and various Shark Week programs.

    I say it’s two fold. Sure Tipple and Wicked Lasers get publicity for the stunt, but a clamp that does not require a scientist to poke holes in a sharks skin to attach it, and dissolves after a period of time in the water could be very beneficial to marine biologists. What do you think?

  • Huge Shark Feeding Frenzy Filmed!

    Shark feeding frenzies happen all the time. You just normally don’t see one of this size caught on camera.

    Fifty to sixty sharks, mostly blacktip and bronze whalers, were filmed by a helicopter off the coast of Perth, Australia. Apparently, baitfish were being fed upon by tuna. The baitfish had massed up into balls to protect themselves, but the whole mass of baitfish and tuna attracted the attention of nearby sharks. Normally, these sharks do not “school”, but hunt alone. Nevertheless, a free meal like this was too tough to pass up. Even a huge flock of birds joined the sushi buffet.

    Nearby Yanchep beach was closed temporarily, just in case. But, most of the sharks in this frenzy were normally not of concern to humans.

    On a separate note, “Feeding Frenzy” was a great live album by Jimmy Buffett. This is not from that.