A nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) with a fin camera attached to it caught some footage of 3m (10′) white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) off the coast of Florida’s Boynton Beach according to the USA Today video above and a report from Florida’s News Channel 8.
The camera equipped tag, which was deployed on the nurse shark by researchers from Florida Atlantic University, was initially thought to be lost after it stopped pinged. However, it was recovered days later after which the camera footage was reviewed, which revealed the exciting surprise cameo from the white shark.
The catch and release of a young great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) off of a Florida beach near Panama City has been making headlines for the past few days. According to a photo on Dark Side Sharker’s Facebook page, fisherman Derrick Keeny landed the shark on March 1, 2015. The male white shark measured 9’8″ and is believed to be the first of its species to be landed from a beach in the Gulf of Mexico. The fisherman tagged the shark as part of the NOAA/NMFS Cooperative Tagging Plan and released it back into the ocean.
While the fishermen involved in the catch seemed to be well-intentioned with the tagging and release of the shark. Some shark researchers and conservationists called into question the legality of bringing the shark up onto the beach and posing for pictures, which is in violation of Florida’s protected species regulations, which specifically prohibit delaying the release of the shark for measurements and photos. It has yet to be reported whether the fishermen involved will be subjected to any legal repercussions.