Two researchers swam alongside the enormous shark for hours, taking breathtaking photos that went viral online. The shark is possibly one of the largest great whites ever recorded — and she may be pregnant.
Image: Reuters/oneoceandiving
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Shark enthusiasts rejoiced this week after the discovery of a behemoth great white near Hawaii.
The 20-foot (6 meter) female shark was spotted feasting on a sperm whale carcass off the island of Oahu by two shark researchers and conservationists.
Ocean Ramsey, one of the divers who swam with the shark, said she believes the animal is at least 50 years old and weighs an estimated 2.5 tons.
Divers swam with the massive shark for hoursImage: Reuters/oneoceandiving
She and her business partner Juan Oliphant spotted the great white near the whale carcass when she started brushing up against their boat.
"She was just this big beautiful gentle giant wanting to use our boat as a scratching post," Ramsey told the Honolulu Star Adviser.
The shark discovered off of Hawaii bears similar markings as "Deep Blue" — the largest great white shark ever recorded.
"Deep Blue" was the subject of a documentary and has previously been spotted near Guadalupe Island off the western coast of Mexico.
The shark is believed to be 20-feet-longImage: Reuters/oneoceandiving
Protecting sharks in Hawaii
Ramsey and Oliphant later told the Associated Press that they hope to use the now-viral images to push for legislation that would ban the killing of sharks and rays in Hawaii.
"There's not a lot of sympathy for sharks because of the way they're portrayed in media and they don't have the cute cuddly appearance," Ramsey said. "You can't hate them for being predators. We need them for healthy marine ecosystems."
She hopes that the images of her swimming with the huge great white will help dispel common myths about sharks.
Ramsey emphasized however, that members of the general public shouldn't start jumping into the water with the giant animals — especially when there's a food source like a rotting whale carcass nearby.
Great white shark sightings in Hawaii are rare as the water is usually too warm for the animals.
For the love of sharks
Image: CC BY 4.0/Albert kok
Sharks, sharks everywhere
Blame it on Jaws or blame it on the fact that sharks do have rather a lot of sharp teeth, fact is, many humans have a fear of sharks as deep as the waters in which they swim. Any expert will tell you, we kill by far more of these great fish a year than they do us. So should we really be scared?
Image: Pterantula (Terry Goss) via Wikimedia Commons
The reef shark
There are five species of reef shark, of which this is one. Feasting on crustaceans and fish alike, they are the top predator in the fragile ecosystem from which they take their name. They are no strangers to divers either, and have been known to attack when they feel threatened.
Image: CC BY 4.0/Albert kok
All shapes and sizes
There are more than 250 recorded species of shark in the waters around our planet. They range in size and ferocity. The sand tiger shark weighs up to 159 kilos and can reach a length of 3.2 meters. They are big eaters, have a mouth full of frightening looking teeth, but are generally regarded as being docile and unlikely to attack humans unless provoked to do so.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S.Sauer
Mass slaughter
Though it is impossible to know exactly how many sharks are killed annually for their fins, some estimates put the number around 100 million. Finning, as the practice is known, entails the removal of the fin while the shark is alive. The animals are then cast back into the sea where if not dead already, they succumb to a painful end. The fins are used to make soup, which costs up to $100 a bowl.
Image: Gerhard Wegner/Sharkproject
Growing old gracefully
Recent research revealed that Greenland sharks can live to the extraordinarily ripe old age of 400. These predators have a healthy appetite, but have never been known to go for humans. They like cold waters, through which they move slowly. And that is not the only thing they do at a leisurly pace - they don't even reach sexual maturity until they are around 150.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Oceans Image
Just because it's big, doesn't mean...
...it will hurt you. At 18 meters, whale sharks are the longest species in the family, and indeed the biggest fish in the sea. At that rate, dinner should be theirs for the picking, but their penchant is for plankton. Good news for all the other creatures in the sea. But whale sharks are at risk. Not only are they fished for their fins, oil and meat, but are often hit by eco-tourism boats.
Image: CC BY 2.0/Derek Keats
Lemon sharks
Said to be the best researched sharks, the lemon species is considered non-agressive. To date there have been no recorded incidents of a human fatality as a result of a lemon shark attack. They are social creatures that move in groups, where they rarely display aggressive behavior to each other.
