Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Sunset on the barren desert road to San Felipe: a most unlikely-
looking place to catch a shark. (Photo by author)
without a trace. We had visions of some huge shark towing it o¤, an-
chors, floats, and all. The next morning we got up early and headed
out to the same area—and there were all the inner tubes bobbing qui-
etly at the surface right where we had left them. Suddenly it dawned
on us: the tremendous tidal change also causes powerful currents. The
strong current had sucked every inner tube completely underwater and
out of sight. The pull on the anchors from that ripping current must
have been tremendous, but they dug in and held.
We began to pull in our line to see if we had caught anything. Soon
we felt something large on one of the leaders, and it was trying to head
away from the boat. Eventually, as we continued to pull in, a head and
large mouth came into view through the murky water. We were ex-
cited to recognize it as a still-alive, ten-foot-long great white shark. Un-
fortunately, even though it was still swimming weakly, the shark was
brain-dead from lack of oxygen. Confined too long on the line, it had
been unable to swim freely and to pass enough life-sustaining water
Search WWH ::
Custom Search