‘Sharknado’: Twin Cyclones Leave Shark Stranded On Australian Beach
Australia experienced its very own sharknado this week, as two cyclones assailed the Queensland coastline, leaving a four-foot-long shark stranded on a popular beach.
The storms left thousands without power as they passed, ripping up trees and flooding houses in the region. Local resident Victor Leto posted a photo on his Facebook page depicting a four-foot-long dusky whaler shark, which was discovered stranded on a beach in the wake of the cyclones. The shark was deposited on the sand at Lennox Head Beach amid the storms, which lashed the popular tourist destination with strong winds and fierce tides.
The photograph of the shark was taken by Andy Leto, who confirmed the predator’s length, despite the fact that it looks far larger in the image. The shark did not appear to have been attacked by another of its kind or any other oceanic animal, though its death may have been caused by human interaction as well as the storms.
Sharknado – it’s happening! @9NewsSyd: A shark has washed up on Lennox Beach this morning, #TCMarcia #9News pic.twitter.com/NIRXj5XSok
— Kate McGrath (@KateMcG6) February 20, 2015
“Poss said he thought it’s fins and tail moved a couple of times only to realize it was the wind,” Leto noted on Facebook.
“There have been a lot of sharks lately and some have been accidentally caught by fisherman, as the sharks take their catch as they reel it in an ensuing fight can occur with the shark usually snapping the lines. It’s possible in it’s weakened state the rough weather/seas then washed it up.”
Cyclone Lam and Cyclone Marcia have both struck Northern Australia, leaving a path of destruction in their wake, though surprisingly, no injuries have been reported. Both of the storm systems have weakened as they passed over land, yet Cyclone Marcia, thought to be responsible for the shark washing ashore, brought wind gusts up to 180 miles per hour to bear on the coastline.
‘Sharknado 3’ begins filming at Universal Orlando. http://t.co/cY7wWPUkwO pic.twitter.com/5f6gWdbTGA
— Joe McDonald (@Joe_McDonald) February 20, 2015
In an odd coincidence, Sharknado 3, the most recent sequel to the 2013 surprise hit, began filming principal scenes at Universal Orlando this week. Earlier this month, star Tara Reid announced several new possible additions to the cast of Sharknado 3, which will see the film series take on Florida for the first time.
Though Cyclone Marcia has proven to be one of the most destructive storms to strike the region since 2013, some surfers still entered the sea, despite the raging conditions. Thanks to the inadvertent sharknado brought about by the cyclones, at least one predator was kept far away from them.
[Image: Andy Leto via the Daily Mail]
