Nature is such a wild, awe-inspiring, sometimes frightening place, but there’s something about the ocean that makes this seem even crazier to me. At least on land, we are in our element, in water… we don’t really stand a chance against something that lives there. We are not all Michael Phelps.
It’s jut not in my DNA to jump in the water with any shark… sorry not going to happen. Basking sharks however, pose virtually no risk to swimmers. They’re a plankton eating shark that doesn’t even really have teeth, but rather, rows of hundreds and hundreds of these little nubs that aren’t used for eating. Scientists believe these teeth are actually used in mating.
That being said, they are absolutely massive and have very rough skin, so as always with any kind of wildlife, caution and respect should be exercised.
Either way, if you’re not an expert and you’re just out having a time with the boys, it might not be smart to make assumptions. This guy found that out as he jumped off the back of boat in with what they thought was a basking shark.
“That was a bad idea”
“Boys, that’s not, hooo!”
As you hear the cries of fear they all realize what just happened.
“That’s not a basking shark, dude”
They thought he may have jumped in with a Great White, the notorious killer of the deep. The panic you can hear in his voice is well deserved given what they did. Later on, after everything was calmed down they inspected farther and confirmed that it was actually a basking shark.
California resident Maxwell Fleming told Storyful the video was taken in the spring of 2019, while the pair were spearfishing at the Channel Islands.
“We spotted a fin in the water, approached it slowly, and determined that it was a basking shark. Ryder and I were actually talking about wanting to swim with a basking shark a few days prior after we heard rumors about them being in the area this time of year.”
Close call, bro…
Spearfisherman Fights Off Two Sharks
Man, spearfishing ain’t for the faint of heart, eh?
I mean, it’s almost a fishermen’s tale that’s to good to be true and will only of be believed because of video proof. It’s a great one to tell the kids too, “Yeah, I used to have to fight two sharks off just to get my tuna in.”
Spearfishing is a badass fishing method. A mix between hunting and fishing, but completely in a new element going underneath the water to get a good shot. With sharks around, I don’t know if I would be causing a scene that would draw them in closer. A fish with a spear through it, flailing around the water is definitely what a shark is looking for.
You ever hear the expression “blood in the water?” You’re literally spearing a fish and pouring blood into the water. This man had his eyes on the prize though as he sunk his spear through the tuna he was chasing. As soon as he grabs ahold of the rope a shark charges in towards the fisherman. He punches the shark in the nose pushing it away. Keep in mind, he’s trying to hang on to the tuna while he’s fighting off a shark… in the shark’s kitchen.
Another shark appears and they both begin circling and coming in close as the fisherman pulls the tuna in close and pays attention to the sharks too all while surfacing for air. Talk about a rush, you can feel the adrenaline pumping just watching the video.
The fight gets more intense as the man gets the fish in closer. Getting tangled in the line, one of the sharks comes right at him and roughs him up until he goes back under. The man pulls out a knife and stabs one that comes close, as it swims off the other comes in and catches a stab as well.
The man goes up and waves down his boat that comes to get him to safety. He throws the fish in first then climbs up in.
Dude… I love tuna as much as the next guy, but not way in hell I’m getting into a knife fight with two sharks over it.
Stabbing sharks and still getting the fish, that’s as intense as fishing gets.
South Carolina State Record Hammerhead Shark
It’s not always about winning.
According to For The Win, a pair of South Carolina fishermen hooked into a hammerhead shark that easily would’ve destroyed the state record.
Weighing in at over 1,000 pounds, this shark was a whopping 400 pounds over the current state record of 588. The world record catch sits at 1,280-pounds from Boca Grande, Florida.
However, after battling for over an hour, the captain decided to let the fish go rather than bringing it in for the official weigh in.
Outcast Sportfishing Captain Chip Michalove said the two fishermen were so beat they didn’t even want the photo:
“They were so exhausted they could barely stand. Pete crashed on the cooler and laid there in exhaustion, and his friend was so tired that I barely convinced him to just hold the camera while I reached over and grabbed the shark’s head for one quick photo.
I tried to get them to lean over for a picture, but they wouldn’t budge. So I threw a quick tag in the shark, popped the hook and sent her off.”
He shared his picture to Twitter:
“13.5ft, over 1,000lbs, hammerhead this morning. We set out fully committed into finding the same hammer that was circling us yesterday and she was waiting. Tagged and released her healthy.
Would’ve demolished our state record but love these fish too much to kill.”
And despite this beast pushing near the world record, Michalove says he is done chasing records:
“Fifteen years ago, I would’ve thrown a rope around her head and dragged her back to demolish the records. But these sharks have given me a good life and they’re too important to our fishery.
“We’ve recaptured so many tigers, lemons, bulls, I owe them everything. I’ve gotten a few messages on how I should’ve dragged her back, but there’s not even a question that we did the right thing.”
Respect.
Here’s one Chip reeled in off the coast of Hilton Head, back in 2011:
