The first dead shark – 15ft one-ton great white – washed up on May 3 and the following day a 12ft shark washed up nearby. Three days later a third dead great white was washed up. A fourth, a 12 foot male, yesterday. All had had their livers removed with surgical precision.
Experts believe Orcas are feasting on their organs because of a love for a compound called squalene. Maybe with the ocean equalivent of a nice chianti?
An ex shark, ceased to be, bereft of life..
Marine Dynamics, a conservation body which also runs shark cage diving trips, confirmed the latest great white had died of Orca wounds
Biologist Alison Towner said
‘Obviously this is a very sad time for us. Nature can be so cruel but the dexterity with which these killer whales are capable of is mind blowing – almost surgical precision.
‘That is the way in which they have removed the squalene-rich livers and dumped the shark carcass. We have never seen anything like this before in great white deaths. ‘In the attacks there is left a large gaping hole between her pectoral fins where they were torn apart to reveal her body cavity and that their large livers were completely missing.”
Yes the annual summer great whitey story has hit the shelves, or internet which ever you prefer.
This year the Independent is claiming a great white is hunting off…Hayling Island!
Shark angler Graeme Pullen says he has been trying to catch the shark after sightings. The shark is “the big one,” he says “This is no basking shark, no porbeagle, blue or mako”… Oo er…
One fisherman has reported it was “huge, the biggest shark I have ever seen”.
Fishing partner Mr Comben said he is “not prone to imagination” and couldn’t see “what else it could have been other than a great white”.
Carve has repeatedly spoken to Richard Peirce, chairman of the Shark Trust, who has been hunting for large sharks for years and while the conditions in waters around the UK are suitable for great whites to be visitors, he has never come across one.
We have seen huge porbeagles around the coast, but not one story we have investigated has come up with a great white.
A great white could end up off UK shores though.. See the story of Lydia below
In 2014 Lydia a Great White of 4.4meters long weighing 2000lbs was 1,000 miles away from the UK and heading towards the British Isles. Tracked by the scientists at shark research organisation Oceach the shark had travelled more than 19,000 miles since she was tagged.
She hung around just above the North Atlantic ridge. If she swam over that then technically she would have been the first recorded great white to cross the Atlantic. But she turned around and headed back to the tropics. Well you would, wouldn’t you?
Although there has been much conjecture about great whites, who travel thousands of miles in their lifetime, appearing in British and Irish waters there has been no confirmed evidence. So Lydia provided scientists with invaluable data.
Dr Gregory Skomal, senior fisheries biologist with Massachusetts Marine Fisheries, told BBC News: “No white sharks have crossed from west to east or east to west.
“Although Lydia is closer to Europe than North America, she technically does not cross the Atlantic until she crosses the mid-Atlantic ridge, which she has yet to do.
“She would be the first documented white shark to cross into the eastern Atlantic.””
The shark first tagged in Jacksonville, Florida and named after the founder of Bradley University, has travelled 380 miles in the last 72 hours. IF she continued at that rate she COULD be in the water off Cork or Cornwall less than three days.
You can track Lydia and other sharks world-wide on the fantastic Ocearch tracker here www.ocearch.org/#SharkTracker
The Shark Trust post this release in response the claims…
A runners up finish in the WSL Espinho Pro Junior has solidified Britain’s Ellie Turner’s 2nd place standing on the regional rankings. With top two at the end of the year qualifying for the World Junior Championships in Australia the 15 year old is in a good position with just one event to go in Spain next month.
Having had to pull out of the previous event in Biscarosse early due to other commitments (going to Brazil to compete in the Rip Curl Grom Search International Finals) it was vital that Ellie got a ‘keeper’ result here in Portugal. And after a finals day of great surf in the 3-4ft range Ellie’s march was only stopped by the favourite Teressa Bonvalot.
Here’s a quick Q&A with one of Europes brightest prospects:
Another 2nd place on the Pro Juniors. Happy with that?
Im super happy with 2nd place although I wish I could have won. That is always my aim but 2nd is good. I still have a lot of years left in this division.
How did this event differ from the last Pro Junior?
This event had much better waves. That was the main thing. The final day was actually really fun. Glassy waves, good peak with left and right options and it meant everyone could surf better.
Which of the other girls impressed you?
All of the finalists had been surfing good all event. Teressa is a great competitor and is hard to beat. Also Neis Lartigue surfed very good earlier in the event.
What is your plan before the final event in Sopelana, Spain next month?
I’m going home and just preparing for that event. I have no other contests and will just get surfing a lot at home around Bude.
What have you been up to since the previous Pro Junior in France?
It’s been pretty hectic. I had to leave the Biscarosse event early and pull out to go to Brazil for the Rip Curl Grom Search International Finals. That was a great experience and I ended up with 2nd place. I had two UK tour events which I won and also I won the Rip Curl Grom Search event in the UK. In between all of this I did a Rip Curl training camp at Surf Snowdonia also. It’s been a very fun and busy month with lots of surfing.
What surfboard have you been riding?
This event I rode my 4th surfboard shaped by Luke Hart. It’s an epoxy and goes great.
What are you looking forward to about going home for a little while?
Mostly seeing all of my friends and family. Hopefully get some fun waves. Start of summer in the UK can be a really nice time of year.
Carve photog Will Bailey is selling some of his camera gear. Email Will if you are interested.
Canon EF 300mm 2.8 L IS USM – £2700
Hood, lens cover and carry box.
Hasn’t been used since It’s had a full service at £594 (with paper work)
SPL housing for Canon7D – £1200
Including
Dome port for Tokina 10-17
Zoom port for canon 70-200 2.8
Controls – shutter, aperture, iso, AF drive, play back, video start stop.
No marks on either of the ports, ports and body in excellent condition.
Tokina fish eye 10-17 DX – £200
Canon 7D – £350
Housing with ports, 7D and Tokina lens – £1600
A Blaze of Feather – Mickey Smith and his sprawling collective of Ben Howard’s band featuring Ben himself will headline three South West Shows before heading out for a busy Summer of festival appearances in support of their debut album release, ‘A Blaze of Feather’ through Ben Howard’s new Hell Up Records.
You can buy tour tickets here , but we have two pairs of tickets to giveaway to Carve followers- one pair to the show in Exeter and one pair to the show in St Ives. (All tour dates are below)
Just name our favourite Mickey Smith film. Here is a clue “—- —- — the lense”
Email your answers to ‘Mickey Comp’ comps@carvemag.com
The first music from the album launched this week in the shape of Six Years.
A Blaze of Feather LP, released on the 30th June, is the first full body of work from Ben Howard’s touring guitarist and close friend, Mickey Smith and a host of wonderful players. The band features a full crew of exquisite musicians who have toured together as Ben’s backing band across the globe.
A Blaze of Feather was produced by Mickey, Ben and fellow guitarist Nat Wason in a makeshift studio on the west coast of Cornwall, and is mixed by Nicolas Vernhes (The War on Drugs/Daughter).
Mickey is also responsible for all the artwork and video footage that will accompany the music alongside long term collaborator, Allan Wilson, who will be exhibiting his photography at the House of Vans Album Launch Party for the first time. Earlier in the evening, they will also be previewing some of their recent films and screening the European premiere of the acclaimed bodyboard film, ‘Far North’, which Mikey scored the soundtrack to.
A Blaze of Feather, as a sprawling collection of atmospheric noise, is the beautiful, pertinent introduction to it.
A Blaze of Feather Live – Remaining tickets on sale now:
2nd July – Princess Pavilion, Falmouth
3rd July – Guildhall, St Ives
4th July – Trinity, Bristol
5th July – Phoenix, Exeter
6th July – House of Vans, London ( BY BALLOT ONLY)
15th July – Latitude Festival, Southwold (Gentlemen of the Road Presents…)
16th July – Citadel Festival, London
10-12th August – Haldern Pop, Germany
13th August – Boardmasters, Cornwall
