Famed, Pregnant Tiger Shark Survives Bullet To The Head
Shark divers who frequent Tiger Beach in the Bahamas are well acquainted with Hook and Emma, two of the most recognized tiger sharks to call the area home, yet they were shocked to discover that Hook has recently survived a shooting which left her with bullet wounds near her head.
Divers in the area named the tiger shark Hook due to a jaw that slightly hangs down on the right side of her mouth, according to The Daily Mail. The injury is thought to have been caused when the shark was caught by a fisherman, breaking her jaw but surviving. One of the oldest sharks in the area, Hook has been observed near Tiger Beach since 2007.
Pregnant tiger shark ‘Hook’ a favorite among divers survives bullet to the head: http://t.co/19CralwanF pic.twitter.com/T7xCoOJA44
— DianeN56 (@DianeN56) October 9, 2014
Hook hadn’t been spotted for some time when she turned up with a head injury that astonished divers. Eli Martinez of Shark Diver Magazine is well known for his interactions with the sharks of Tiger Beach, according to Shark Attack News, and on a trip there last month, the magazine’s divers observed Hook’s injuries. In a post on their Facebook page, they detailed their observation of the tiger shark.
“We ran into Hook at Tiger Beach on this past trip. I have not seen her since December of last year. She returned with a huge bullet wound on her. Someone tried to kill her. It looks like a bang stick was used, my guess is a spear fisherman? Or possibly she came up to a boat to steal a fish off their line and they tried to shoot her? The bullet went in on one side and out on the other. She looks like she is going to be ok. But the scar was horrific. She is pregnant right now and will be pupping in the next few months. Made me sad to see my old friend like this.”
As Grind TV notes, dive operators in Tiger Beach often use bait to lure sharks near. Since the animals are fed, they are generally friendly, and are not considered to be dangerous to humans. On the contrary, humans are far more dangerous to tiger sharks, as the Inquisitr has recently noted.
“Precious” the tiger shark has hooks in both sides of mouth. Earned trust, patience and care will get them removed. pic.twitter.com/bBENnfEK6D
— #ItsASharkThing (@Shark_Toothday) October 9, 2014
Hook appears to be recovering from the injury, according to Shark Diver Magazine’s Debra Canabal, who spotted the tiger shark while diving earlier this week, observing that her wound was healing nicely.
[Image: Martiza Martinez, via The Daily Mail]
