Swordfish are known far and wide for their distinct appearance that matches their name. They have massive swords attached to their face that they use to hunt and for defense. These fish can grow massive weighing up to 1,400 pounds and measuring up to 11 feet long.
This makes them a popular target fish for sports out on the ocean.
Cookie cutter sharks are a lesser-known ocean dweller that are properly named. Also known as a cigar shark, they get their name from their circular bite that leaves “cookie cutter” like chunks out of the prey. These tiny sharks only grow up to be about 2 feet long.
They prey on larger creatures like whales and dolphins for bites, but will also consume small marine critters whole, such as squids. They are often in large numbers and swarm their prey latching on.
They aren’t known to always go for swordfish, but it can happen during their migrations. These fishermen came across a wild encounter while out on the water.
They are seen hauling a nice swordfish up on deck, but something is clearly up with it, having multiple wounds all over its body. It almost looks like “cupping” marks that you see on the backs of athletes who utilize the treatment.
We all remember Michael Phelps weird-looking back in the Rio Olympics?
But as the camera gets closer and shows the perfect cookie cutter bites. Nature is WILD.
Fisherman’s Thresher Shark Ravaged By A Giant Squid
If you spend enough time in the wilderness, weather it’s in the mountains, the woods, at sea, etc… you’re bound to see some crazy stuff.
Whether its an animal charge, dive bombing birds, or a big fish that meets an even bigger fish.
Generally, you think of sharks at the top of the food chain, but apparently, they have no shortage of their own worries in the depths of sea.
These Australian fishermen fueled up the boat and hit the ocean for a day of swordfish fishing.
One of the fishermen hooking into something massive. He starts reeling, and reeling and reeling… hours of reeling:
“What has it been 3 hours? And we’re not that much closer. This is insane”
The mans reel still has loads of line out.
Catching an absolute beast and getting in a gnarly workout, seems like win-win to me, really.
The fight goes on and on for what ended up being over 4 and half hours, and you can finally, you can start to see the fish or whatever it is through the water. As it gets closer the fishermen are increasingly confused the whole time. Even after it surfaces its easy to tell they are baffled by what it is.
Then they decide it is their target species and get ready to gaff it and pull it up on deck. As it gets it they start to grab it and realize it is missing a third of its body. Yup, something else ate the shark that is huge.
I would love to see whatever ate it, from a far, far distance of course.
The shark almost looks like a cartoon fish with the head and tail and only bones for the body…. just nuts. I mean, imagine reeling for 4.5 hours only to reel in a dead, half eaten fish…. seems like it might be minorly disappointing.
What could’ve done this?
The obvious answer is a much larger shark, but judging by the comments, you’ll never guess what did this kind of damage… a giant squid.
A number of fishermen and seafaring lads chimed in with comments about how they’ve seen this before and it’s the patented sign of a giant squid attack.
Either way this made for a wild video…
The ocean is a crazy place where here is always something larger trying to find a meal.
As our fisherman put it:
“He’s proper legend of the deep, well… he was a legend of the deep and now he’s just food for another shark. It’s a pretty tough world out here.
This might be the most epic thing I’ve ever seen off shore.”
Epic, indeed.
Kayak Fisherman Beats Hammerhead Shark With Paddle
This is nightmare fuel…
The ocean is just a big, blue, unknown, scary place. Ya never know what’s lurking in the depths, and usually, you can’t see it coming.
Sharks are not known to attack humans at any crazy-high statistic, but there are frequent encounters due to humans wanting to use their habitat.
Sharks are pure killers, and it’s hard to blame them for wanting a meal of something that looks tasty.
The video starts with a man in a fishing kayak holding his paddle like a spear. Then you realize he is doing that to use it as a spear against a shark swimming around. As it gets close the man lunges and hits it. It swims around to the other side and as it gets close again, you notice it’s a hammerhead.
Yikes…
Although it’s extremely rare for a hammerhead to be dangerous towards a human, it is still extremely scary when one gets close. Hitting it probably doesn’t help and might make it mad, but after it rams your kayak a few times, what else are you really going to do?
The crazy thing is, he is so far off shore and it doesn’t seem like anyone else is very close by at all… that would be enough to make the heart beat a little heavy.
The shark zooms around the kayak as the fisherman repeatedly strikes the shark with his paddle. The shark really seems unbothered and, on a mission, as he circles.
Finally, after a few minutes the shark seems to disappear and the man lets out a sigh of relief. No doubt, that is as scary as it gets.
And how many people really have that much experience around sharks? Not a lot…
Here’s the full explanation from the fisherman himself:
“My day started out like every other weekend. Out on the water, searching for halibut, and possibly a white seabass still hanging around the area. Never found any. Did see a school of bonito so I was trolling for them at the time when all of this madness began.
I felt a bump to the back of my kayak and you notice I turn to see what it was. Saw nothing so I looked right. Nothing. Then felt the bump again and turned back to the left to see this hammerhead who looked like he meant business. He hits my kayak 1 more time, which you can clearly see, and that’s when I decided I needed to do something about the situation.
I knew that the only way I was gonna be in real danger was if I was in the water. And I also knew as long as the shark didn’t hit my kayak anymore, there’s no way I would be in the water. So I chose to use my paddle to keep him away from my kayak.
I had other options. There was a 3″ knife in the compartment right next to me. And a rather oversized gaff with a 3 foot handle right behind me. Both of which I considered during the event but I preferred to not seriously hurt the shark if I didn’t have to.
I was close to a mile from any help and by myself with no boats in the area. If I had been knocked in the water and was splashing around, there’s a great chance the shark would have come up and bit me to see if I was food. One good bite from those teeth, that far away from any help, I almost surely would have bled out. So I did what I felt necessary to defend myself.
Please don’t come on here and tell me how I shouldn’t have been in their natural environment. This planet belongs to every living thing on it and we all have the right to go wherever we want. Except maybe not North Korea. I wouldn’t recommend that. If we aren’t allowed in a predators natural environment then we better all pack up and move into outer space. Because every square inch of this planet is a predators natural environment.
Don’t tell me hammerheads are mellow and it wouldn’t hurt me. Every animal, just like every human, is different. This is a shark that has NEVER, in the 30 years I’ve lived in this area, been seen here. So who knows what is going through its head. And I didn’t wanna find out.
I’m just glad that both myself and the shark got out of this with no permanent damage. And yes, I’ll probably be back out there fishing in the near future.”
