Super Predator Off Australian Coast

[Sparhawke 6]

<click>

 

A giant shark that could be up to 20ft long has sent shockwaves across Australian beaches after a great white was nearly bitten in half.

 

The great white after being savaged at sea (Pic: Courier Mail)

 

 

A stunning picture shows a 10ft predator thrashing about with two massive chunks missing on either side of its body, off the Queensland coast.

 

Experts said its rival may be 20ft (about six metres) long, judging by the size of the huge bites.

 

The fictional shark in Steven Spielberg's movie Jaws was estimated to be almost 15ft (4.5 metres) long.

 

The great white was savaged after it got snared on a drum line - a baited hook attached to a buoy - near North Stradbroke Island, east of Brisbane.

 

The wounded creature was still alive when a crew hauled it onto a boat, close to Deadman's Beach.

 

"It certainly opened up my eyes. I mean the shark that was caught is a substantial shark in itself," Queensland Fisheries' Jeff Krause told Australia's Daily Telegraph.

 

Swimmers have been warned to stay out of the water near the island.

 

The attack also worried many at a nearby tourist Mecca - Surfers Paradise, south of Brisbane.

 

Surfer Ashton Smith, 19, of the Gold Coast, told the Courier Mail: "I've heard about the big one lurking. Every surfer is always cautious over here."

 

Drum lines and shark nets are used to defend swimmers from sea predators, but they have been criticised for occasionally trapping migrating whales.

 

Fisheries minister Tim Mulherin told the Mail that the capture of the bitten shark - and the indication of a larger one feeding in the area - bolstered the decision to keep defences in place.

 

He added there were no special plans to hunt the attacking shark but contractors had reset the drum lines.

[Redi 2]

... WOW. Remnd me to never go swimming in Australia...

[Sagara 0]

Is it just me or is this awesome?

[Ootachi 3]

HOLY shizzle!

That's crazy.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Poke

[Eye 3]

Wait, drumlines are quite Lethal, right? Why are they letting something like that kill even more sharks? Wouldn't that great white have died anyways? Grawrble. Sharks need more help to survive.

 

Anyways, I find that quite interesting, although I'm not too too surprised. I'd like to see some images of that 'new shark', if they ever became available! That's very cool.

[Ootachi 3]

I've come up with my theory.

Basking sharks are 20ft long, SO BASKING SHARKS HAVE GROWN TEETH.

[Sparhawke 6]

Imagine that though, a great white shark is world known as one of the greatest predators in the world....and another that is unknown is able to rip it apart and bite it in two

 

Scary

[Blyaunte 0]

*plays "Jaws Theme"*

 

*waits for it to be proven a hoax*

[Guest Emanick]

Couldn't it be a young sperm whale rather than a simply mammoth shark? I doubt that sperm whales typically attack great whites, but perhaps it or the shark had brain damage or something and attacked what they normally wouldn't, or perhaps the sperm whale was incredibly hungry. I'm pretty sure sperm whales live in all the oceans, so it's quite possible that one was swimming near the great white and this bizarre accident took place in consequence, for whatever reason.

 

Maybe there are smaller toothed whales that could have done this, too, but I can't think of any.

[Shooter585 193]

Couldn't it be a young sperm whale rather than a simply mammoth shark? I doubt that sperm whales typically attack great whites, but perhaps it or the shark had brain damage or something and attacked what they normally wouldn't, or perhaps the sperm whale was incredibly hungry. I'm pretty sure sperm whales live in all the oceans, so it's quite possible that one was swimming near the great white and this bizarre accident took place in consequence, for whatever reason.

 

Maybe there are smaller toothed whales that could have done this, too, but I can't think of any.

I'm not sure all of those bite marks are large enough to be that of a whale.

 

I never knew shark meat looked so delicious. Reminds me of tuna steak

[Guest Emanick]

Couldn't it be a young sperm whale rather than a simply mammoth shark? I doubt that sperm whales typically attack great whites, but perhaps it or the shark had brain damage or something and attacked what they normally wouldn't, or perhaps the sperm whale was incredibly hungry. I'm pretty sure sperm whales live in all the oceans, so it's quite possible that one was swimming near the great white and this bizarre accident took place in consequence, for whatever reason.

 

Maybe there are smaller toothed whales that could have done this, too, but I can't think of any.

I'm not sure all of those bite marks are large enough to be that of a whale.

 

I never knew shark meat looked so delicious. Reminds me of tuna steak

 

Like I said, could have been a young one, or perhaps a mother and its young together. I just wiki'd sperm whales and found that they've been known to attack Megamouth Sharks, which are pretty similar in size to the great white, so I wouldn't be too surprised if I was actually right.

[balloons 0]

gf great white lololol

[Donovan 24]

Couldn't it be a young sperm whale rather than a simply mammoth shark? I doubt that sperm whales typically attack great whites, but perhaps it or the shark had brain damage or something and attacked what they normally wouldn't, or perhaps the sperm whale was incredibly hungry. I'm pretty sure sperm whales live in all the oceans, so it's quite possible that one was swimming near the great white and this bizarre accident took place in consequence, for whatever reason.

 

Maybe there are smaller toothed whales that could have done this, too, but I can't think of any.

I'm not sure all of those bite marks are large enough to be that of a whale.

 

I never knew shark meat looked so delicious. Reminds me of tuna steak

 

Like I said, could have been a young one, or perhaps a mother and its young together. I just wiki'd sperm whales and found that they've been known to attack Megamouth Sharks, which are pretty similar in size to the great white, so I wouldn't be too surprised if I was actually right.

Sperm whales only have teeth on their lower jaw, looking at that picture it just doesn't seem possible for a whale to make such a clean bite. It would need to be something like a shark- short but powerful jaw, with many tiny teeth. Which is insane, shark skin is like steel and those bites look effortless. I really want to see a picture of this thing.

[Dad 25]

This is different than I was expecting because I just saw an article about Dennis Ferguson possibly living on the coast. And he usually gets a lot of media attention.

 

Anyway, holy shizzle.

[Riddick 0]

When I went on holidays up that way, I heard of much larger sharks being spotted. This is amazing though, now one of the most deadly predators have something to fear.

[Finway 6]

I thought that the shark in Jaws was 25 ft long.

[Antichristian Phenomenon 0]

*screams like a school girl*

[Smoke Jogy 0]

Highly DOUBT that there is another "creature" of the sea out there that can do something like that to a shark.

If you look at it both sides are bitten so the creature supposedly bit one side then swam over to the other side and bit it again? I might be wrong but I dont believe it.

 

Maybe it was hit by a boat, caught onto something in the oceans depths, or Actually get bitten by something else

 

Just my opinion.

 

Jogy

[Mohorak 90]

Now I'm hungry.

 

SUSHI!!!

[Yankee 1]

Lol saw this on the news, its whack

[Morte 56]

 

 

Just saying.......

 

First thing that popped in my mind. I'm a big fan of the Megalodon. I even have a fossil tooth

 

 

Also this would be a great time for you to read Meg by Steve Alten. A great horror story

[As 8]

Queensland now has a 20ft shark.

 

Do they want to make there state anymore dangerous?

 

As

[Kemosabe 194]

 

 

Just saying.......

 

First thing that popped in my mind. I'm a big fan of the Megalodon. I even have a fossil tooth

 

 

Also this would be a great time for you to read Meg by Steve Alten. A great horror story

I'm actually disappointed that the Megalodon is extinct. Although terrifying, it would be absolutely amazing to have something that fearsome living in the oceans.

 

I actually found it really fascinating.

 

Highly DOUBT that there is another "creature" of the sea out there that can do something like that to a shark.

If you look at it both sides are bitten so the creature supposedly bit one side then swam over to the other side and bit it again? I might be wrong but I dont believe it.

 

Maybe it was hit by a boat, caught onto something in the oceans depths, or Actually get bitten by something else wink.gif

 

Just my opinion.

 

Jogy

 

I saw a picture of it somewhere.. I think it was on the news but it was very clear to have literally been bitten. It could easily be another GW.

[Icyy 0]

I live on the Coast of australia.

 

Eep. :\

[Jazzer23 0]

Megalodon lives! Or it was a hoax?