Scientists amazed by accidental Gulf catch of second-ever goblin shark
Shrimpers fishing in the Gulf of Mexico have pulled up an incredibly rare, almost prehistoric looking goblin shark. It's only the second sighting of such a beast in the Gulf.
The freakish shark is one of the least-known of the shark family, usually living in deep waters off the coast of Japan. The goblin is so rare that the first Gulf sighting of one over 10 years ago resulted in a scientific paper being written.
The new shark, estimated to have been 18 feet long, was accidentally hauled up by shrimpers off the coast of Key West, Florida.
The crew had a net down in 2,000 feet of water and were shocked when they pulled up the usual barrel-load of shrimp. Mixed into their catch was the bright pink giant, which preceeded to thrash around on deck.
"I didn't even know what it was," said lifetime fisherman Carl Moore. "I didn't get the tape measure out because that thing's got some wicked teeth, they could do some damage."
Instead, Moore quickly hoisted the creature back into the water. It was only luck that any photos were taken as Moore had only just bought a cell phone with a camera.
"My 3-year-old grandson, he just loves sharks so I've been taking pictures of every one we find, when I showed him this one he said, 'Wow, Pappa!'" Moore said.
The freakish shark is one of the least-known of the shark family, usually living in deep waters off the coast of Japan. The goblin is so rare that the first Gulf sighting of one over 10 years ago resulted in a scientific paper being written.
The new shark, estimated to have been 18 feet long, was accidentally hauled up by shrimpers off the coast of Key West, Florida.
The crew had a net down in 2,000 feet of water and were shocked when they pulled up the usual barrel-load of shrimp. Mixed into their catch was the bright pink giant, which preceeded to thrash around on deck.
"I didn't even know what it was," said lifetime fisherman Carl Moore. "I didn't get the tape measure out because that thing's got some wicked teeth, they could do some damage."
Instead, Moore quickly hoisted the creature back into the water. It was only luck that any photos were taken as Moore had only just bought a cell phone with a camera.
"My 3-year-old grandson, he just loves sharks so I've been taking pictures of every one we find, when I showed him this one he said, 'Wow, Pappa!'" Moore said.
Original Article
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