Cow Shark Attacks, Steals Fisherman’s Catch
A group of fishermen from Canada’s west coast were startled by a large cow shark recently as the rarely seen predator attacked their catch, attempting to pull another unlucky shark from their line.
The anglers captured their encounter with the rare shark on video, posting it to YouTube this past weekend, as Shark Attack News notes. The group were fishing off the west coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island, reeling in a small dogfish shark, when the slow moving cow shark attacked their catch.
[Warning — Adult Language]
The sharks spin just beneath the surface of the water as the fishermen register their incredulity. One of them cautions the man controlling the rod that if the massive shark starts to swim off, he needs to let it take the line.
The predator twists, trying to break the dogfish shark free, before one of the fishermen steps into the frame, reaching over the side of the boat with a knife to sever the line. The cow shark suffers a cut in the area around its throat as the angler attempts to free the dogfish shark, but the injury appears minor. Before the video ends, the cow shark slowly turns and begins swimming off, diving under the boat.
cowshark in kelp forest … lovely … http://t.co/8eLsI2fwlf #underwaterphoto pic.twitter.com/upi8w8Hgwj
— Sport Diver Magazine (@sportdiver) November 11, 2014
The Canadian anglers aren’t the only fishermen to have a close encounter with a shark off the Pacific coast recently. A trio fishing near California’s Franklin Point encountered a 12 to 14-foot-long great white last week, becoming aware of its presence only after the shark bumped into their boat, as the Inquisitr previously reported. As the shark circled their boat, they were able to film it several times with a submerged camera.
Dr. Alison Kock from @SharkSpotters talks about their sevengill cowshark research http://t.co/gEtSdqG9r6 #sharkwatch pic.twitter.com/dgbpNTm2ok — The Gills Club (@GillsClub) July 21, 2014
Cow sharks are a little known species, Shark Savers notes, due to the fact that their preferred habitat is in the cold depths of the ocean, beyond the reach of divers. The species will occasionally make its way into shallow waters during certain seasons, in order to give birth or to follow food. Slow moving and shy, cow sharks are unusual in that they possess either six or seven pairs of gills. Aggressive predators that can grow as long as 15 feet, cow sharks will prey upon other sharks, rays, bony fish, and seals, in addition to any other animals they can scavenge.
[Image: YouTube/ Walter W via Shark Attack News]
