As an avid bass angler, it’s very rare that I have to wonder what my catch is gonna look like. Of course, there’s always the wonder of what is gonna come up… is it a bass, maybe a walleye or a pike? But I’m rarely ever surprised for the most part. It’s gonna be one of a few different options, and depending on the bait I’m throwing, it might limited to one or two species. Fishing in the ocean fishing however, is whole different beast.
And this is a prime example…
Swordfish are known far and wide for their distinct appearance that matches their name. They have large, sword-like bills 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. Like other billfish (primarily marlin and sailfish) they’re a very popular target for sportfishermen out on the ocean.
Cookiecutter sharks are a lesser-known ocean dweller. They’re small, cigar-shaped deepwater sharks famous for gouging perfectly round, cookie-sized plugs of flesh out of living marine animals. Despite rarely exceeding 20 inches in length, these parasitic predators are notoriously fearless, routinely attacking apex predators, massive whales, and even submarines.
Unlike most sharks that rely on speed or massive crushing force, the cookiecutter operates a little differently. They use their thick lips to create a tight vacuum seal against the flat side of a larger animal. The upper jaw features small, needle-like teeth designed latch on while the lower jaw houses a serrated band of massive, triangular teeth. Once attached, the shark spins its entire body in a circular motion, carving out a two-inch chunk of meat before swimming away… basically a living hole saw.
Cookiecutter sharks are relatively slow swimmers, so they rely on brilliant camouflage to bring their food to them. Their bellies are densely packed with photophores, light-producing organs that glow a pale blue. They also roam in wolf-like packs, which allows them to inflict this kind of devastation on their prey.
These anglers are seen hauling a nice swordfish up on deck, but something is clearly up with it… it’s absolutely mutilated. With multiple wounds all over its body, it’s been completely ravaged by cookiecutter sharks… almost to the point where you’re wondering how it is even alive. It reminds me of those “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? Kind of like that… but instead of a little redness, it’s massive chunks of missing flesh.
The ocean is a WILD place, man…
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.
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.
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.
