An enormous great white shark - believed to be one of the biggest on record - has been spotted off the coast of Hawaii by divers who took a swim with the predator.
The six-metre female shark - bearing similar markings as "Deep Blue," the largest great white shark recorded - made its surprise appearance on Tuesday, joining other sharks feasting on a sperm whale carcass off Oahu.
"We saw a few (tiger sharks) and then she came up and all the other sharks split, and she started brushing up against the boat," said Ocean Ramsey, one of the divers, recounting the extraordinary encounter to the Honolulu Star Adviser.
"She was just this big beautiful gentle giant wanting to use our boat as a scratching post," added Ramsey, who swam with the shark all day and captured stunning pictures. "We went out at sunrise, and she stayed with us pretty much throughout the day."
The shark is one of the largest recorded [@JuanSharks/@OceanRamsey/Juan Oliphant/ oneoceandiving.com via Reuters]
Ramsey said the animal, believed to be at least 50 years old and weighing an estimated 2.5 tonnes, was "shockingly wide" and may be pregnant.
"Deep Blue," which has her own Twitter account and was the subject of a documentary several years ago, had previously been spotted around Guadalupe Island off Mexico.
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I waited quietly, patiently, observing as she swam up to the dead sperm whale carcass and then slowly to me passing close enough I gently put my hand out to maintain a small space so her girth could pass. I know some people criticize touch but what some don’t realize is that sometimes sharks seek touch, she swam away escorted by two rough-toothed dolphins who danced around her over to one of my @oneoceandiving shark research vessels and proceeded to use it as a scratching post, passing up feeding for another need. I wish more people would have a connection with sharks and the natural world, because then they would understand that it’s not petting sharks or pushing them off to maintain a respectable space that is hurting sharks (because trust me if she didn’t like being pet she can handle and communicate ?) it’s the wasteful and cruel practice of grabbing and catching sharks to cut off their fins (which slowly kills them) for #sharkfinsoup in a process called #sharkfinning or the wasteful #sharkfishing or #sharksportfishing If it bothers you that I touched the shark please click on one of the hashtags above and leave them a negative comment first ? #HelpSaveSharks #SpreadAwareness #FinBanNow #bansharkfinning #Sharkfin Vid shot on my @gopro #gopro3000 #goproforacause out with @oneoceandiving with @juansharks ❤️ @mermaid_kayleigh ? @camgrantphotography ❤️ @forrest.in.focus ? @oneoceanresearch @oneoceanglobal @waterinspired @oneoceansharks @oneoceanhawaii @oneoceaneducation #savetheocean #sharktouch #touchingsharks #oneoceanteam #discoversharks #discoverocean #greatwhitesharkinhawaii #freedivingwithsharks #whitesharkhawaii #deadwhalehawaii #dolphinsandsharks #?? #Hawaii #sharka ???
Ramsey studies sharks, advocates for their conservation and leads cage-free shark diving tours. Ramsey and her team observe and identify sharks and share that data with state and federal partners.
Hawaii waters are usually too warm for great whites compared with California's Pacific coast, where they feed on sea lions and elephant seals, Ramsey said. She estimated this shark was more than 6 metres long and 2.4 metres across.
The giant white might have headed to Hawaii because of hunger and a need for extra nutrients in pregnancy, Ramsey said.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said in a statement on Wednesday that the decomposing whale carcass had drifted to about 13km south of Pearl Harbor after being towed 24km offshore days earlier.
The shark is more than 6 metres long and 2.4 metres across [@JuanSharks/@OceanRamsey/Juan Oliphant/oneoceandiving.com via REUTERS
The department said tiger sharks have been "almost continuously" feeding on the whale and said it was aware of photos of the great white.
The agency's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, Chief Jason Redull, said people should stay out of the water around the dead whale.
"We don't want anyone to get hurt if a shark swimming around the carcass mistakes them as food. Understandably, some people want to get into the water either out of fascination or to get photographs, but it is truly dangerous to be around this carcass with so much shark activity," he said.
The agency said there are reports people climbed on top of the whale carcass and removed its teeth, which may be a violation of state and federal laws.
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Officials said the carcass it is currently drifting away from shore, but a predicted shift in the winds could once again push it back toward Oahu.
"Big pregnant females (sharks) are actually the safest ones to be with - the biggest, oldest ones - because they've seen it all, including us," Ramsey said. "That's why I kind of call her, like, a grandma shark."
Sharks usually only bite when they're curious or mistake people for their natural prey but are unpredictable, she said.Source: aljazeera.com
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