Multiple media outlets have jumped on the "Monster Shark" story out of Queensland. Oddly enough, the size of the "Monster Shark," which reportedly has not actually been seen by anybody, seems to vary depending on who is reporting the story.

Mother Nature Network estimates the shark being 15′ (4.5m) in length and lists the smaller shark that was reportedly bitten by the "monster shark" as being 9′ (2.75m). Despite listing the larger shark at 15′, MNN still refers to the animal as both "gigantic" and a "monster." The article’s headline, states that the shark "terrifies" the locals, although the local quoted in the article merely makes mention of being cautious.

A Sky News report (overflowing with "monster" usage) posted by YouTube user SharkAndAnimals reports the larger animal to be over 5m (>16.5′) and that the smaller shark was 3.7m (>12′).

The Daily Mail article ups the ante (we can always count on the Daily Mail), estimating the larger shark at up to 20′ (>6m). The beauty of the Daily Mail article is that it reports the smaller shark as being 10′ (3m) early in the article, then refers to the smaller shark as being 14′ (4.25m) in the caption of a photo of the mauled shark. Of course, I would expect nothing less from an article that refers to Vic Hislop as "an internationally-recognised authority on sharks."

The 7 News video below, which adds to fear-filled reporting, was embedded in the Daily Mail article.

I sincerely have a hard time taking a "shark expert" seriously, when he makes statements to the effect of, great white sharks "will eat anything." While that kind of fear marketing might help Mr. Edwards sell more of his shark attack books, it’s far from an accurate description of typical white shark feeding habits. However, with "shark experts" proclaiming such inaccuracies as fact, it’s no wonder that the news crew was able to find a woman on the beach, who believes that if a white shark would attack a snared smaller white shark, then it would definitely attack the woman’s daughter, since she is smaller than the mauled shark.

Oh well, journalism was never about getting the facts straight…or was it?

The Courier-Mail recently posted a story titled, Monster shark spreads fear off Queensland coast, focusing on a supposed "monster" white shark, which is so large that it was able to nearly bite a 3m (approximately 10′) white shark "in half" (with two bites on alternating sides, that is). The 3m shark was bitten after it was "snared on a baited drumline." The Courier-Mail posted this picture of the 3m white shark with the bite marks from the larger shark. The article goes on to estimate the size of this "monster" to be 5m (approximately 16.5′) or more. The article also refers to the shark as a "giant" great white, when not repeatedly referring to it as a "monster shark."

Let’s take a step back into reality, shall we? 5m is not outside of the range of what would generally be considered a normal length for an adult white shark. It is hardly a "giant," relatively speaking, when it comes to white sharks. So, who is spreading the fear about a monster off the coast of Queensland? Is it the actual shark or the over-the-top sensationalized reporting about the shark?

The article goes on to discuss the controversial topic of shark nets. Aside from the unnecessary sensationalism, one thing about the article that did strike me as interesting was that it mentioned that Vic Hislop (great white shark "hunter") does not support the use of shark nets due to the overall damage they cause to the marine environment, and that he supports methods to "scare away sharks rather than capture and kill them." This comes as a bit of surprise considering some of Hislop’s statements about sharks, which were featured in a recent Edit International article.

YouTube user walkofwolf0 has posted a video documenting the dissection of multiple juvenile great white sharks. According to the video information, there were a total of 4 juvenile white sharks dissected on October 11, 2009. It is not clear from the video what the purpose of these dissections was, nor how and from where the white sharks were acquired. If anybody has any more information regarding the events in this video, please feel free to contribute.

Due to the graphic nature of the dissection, I have chosen not to embed the video here. To view the video follow the link below.

Oceanfootage.com has posted a "highlight reel" which features a compilation of clips from some of their available stock footage. The video showcases some wonderful footage of a wide variety of shark species (including the great white shark, scalloped hammerhead shark, bull shark, basking shark, and sand tiger shark to name a few).

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Future Society posted the video below on YouTube yesterday featuring footage of aggregations of Galapagos sharks filmed at Maro Reef (located near the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands). The video segment was taken from the PBS series Voyage to Kure, which premiered in 2006. According to the PBS website the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were declared "a national monument and the world’s largest protected marine area was inspired in part by the PBS documentary series Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures Voyage to Kure"

Earth-Touch.com posted a new video footage today featuring encounters with common bottlenose dolphins, a manta ray, and a 5-6m whale shark. The video footage was shot at Sodwana Bay, off the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa on October 14th.

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.

Roberts Grove (located in Placencia, Belize) recently posted a few short videos on their YouTube Channel featuring some footage of whale sharks at Gladden Spit. While there’s nothing groundbreaking in these videos, I never get tired of seeing footage of whale sharks.

Having been out to Gladden Spit multiple times during "whale shark season", I highly recommend it. There is plenty of great reef diving in the area, as well. While the whale sharks can be hit or miss even around the full moons of the spring months, dolphins and bull sharks can be commonly seen at Gladden Spit, as well. So, even if you miss the whale sharks, you likely won’t leave disappointed.

The Shark Alliance recently released a new video in attempt to boost awareness and increase regulation of shark finning in Europe.

According to the The Shark Alliance’s petition page,

• The EU ban on ‘finning’ (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea) is among the world’s weakest due mainly to the strong influence of the EU’s top shark fishing nation: Spain.
• The EU finning regulation allows permitted fishermen to remove shark fins at sea and land shark parts separately, complicating enforcement. Spain grants more permits than any other EU country.
• Spain is working to further weaken the EU finning ban as the European Commission and other countries have called to strengthen it. Calls from concerned European citizens are needed to persuade Spain to change course.

If you support the cause of The Shark Alliance, you can sign the petition online.