Jaws junior in family lake

[alexr]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16721989-1242,00.html

IT may have been a baby but the capture of a great white shark in a lake popular with holidaying families has stunned experts and spooked local residents.

The 2m-long shark - dubbed Jaws Junior - was caught in shallow calm waters 500m off Canton Beach, where many children swim, on the Central Coast's Tuggerah Lake.
Unlike its close relatives, great white sharks give birth to fully-formed pups - complete with razor sharp teeth - of up to 1.5m that begin feeding immediately after birth.

Local estuary commercial fishermen Mark Sales and Dave Hauraki found the shark dead in commercial fishing nets they had set for bream on August 26.

The capture ends a long-running local debate over the existence of sharks in the lake system, once thought impenetrable to large marine creatures because its entrance to the sea is so shallow.

"I've seen sharks but nothing like this. It was small and young, but big enough to take a limb off or swallow a head whole," Mr Sales told a local newspaper.

But the pair were reluctant to tell their story yesterday, as they are facing hefty fines over the accidental catch of a protected species. Any great white caught must be reported to the State Government.
Canton Beach is on the eastern side of Tuggerah Lake only minutes from The Entrance, and is a haven for wading prawn fishermen. It is also a perfect swimming environment for children with families flocking to the region during summer.

Sydney-based shark expert Ian Gordon said the juvenile great white might have followed mullet into the lake.

Mr Gordon, dubbed the Shark Whisperer, said it was highly unusual for a white shark to enter a lake and it would have had to "thread the needle" of the shallow lake entrance.

Des Dunn, the division commander of the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol at Wallarah Bay said: "I've never seen a shark in the lake myself. For a while now people have been adamant they've seen one in the lake, but people brush it off. Now the myth has become reality."

 

[Gilleni]

thats so crazy man.. This is right near where i live.. about five minutes away...

Thanks for posting it up alex...

 

[alexr]

Yeah... When I think White shark I think South Australia...not Tuggerah Lakes.

(I hope it was just baby and not a pregnent mum that found itself in the lake system....)

Wonder how may GW migrate each year up the east coast and how close they come to our beaches.

 

[alexr]

I found a picture!!! http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,16718120-5001022,00.html

Jaws junior

By ANDREW CARSWELL

September 26, 2005

IT MAY have only been a baby, but the capture of a great white shark in the Central Coast's Tuggerah Lake has stunned experts and spooked local residents.

The 2m-long shark, dubbed Jaws Junior, was caught in shallow calm waters in a commercial fishing net 500m off the lake's Canton Beach, a popular swimming spot for children.

Unlike its close relatives, great white sharks give birth to fully-formed pups ? complete with razor sharp teeth ? of up to 1.5m. They begin feeding immediately after birth.

Local estuary commercial fishermen Mark Sales and Dave Hauraki found the shark dead in the nets they had set for bream on August 26.

The capture ends a long-running local debate over the existence of sharks in the lake system, once thought impenetrable to large marine creatures because its entrance to the sea is so shallow.

"I've seen sharks but nothing like this. It was small and young, but big enough to take a limb off or swallow a head whole," Mr Sales told a local newspaper.

But the pair was reluctant to tell their story yesterday, as they are facing hefty fines over the accidental catch of a protected species. Any great white caught must be reported to the State Government.

Canton Beach is on the eastern side of Tuggerah Lake only minutes from The Entrance, and is a haven for wading prawn fishermen. It is also a perfect swimming environment for children with families flocking to the region during summer.

Sydney-based shark expert Ian Gordon said the juvenile great white might have followed mullet into the lake.

Mr Gordon, dubbed the Shark Whisperer, said it was highly unusual for a white shark to enter a lake and it would have had to "thread the needle" of the shallow lake entrance.

Des Dunn, the division commander of the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol at Wallarah Bay said: "I've never seen a shark in the lake myself. For a while now people have been adamant they've seen one in the lake, but people brush it off. Now the myth has become reality."

 

[_popp_]

You hear stories of the sharks in the lakes up here & the entrance opening is tiny,if there getting thru at the entrance imagine whats coming into lake maquarie thru swansea opening. :shock:



Cheers popp.

 

[ether]

What is one doing so far north?

 

[Splitmore]

ether,
white sharks have been satellite tracked as far up as the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. There have also been a few attacks recorded in Moreton Bay in Qld over the years.

 

[craig.a.c]

Its a dam shame that it died in the net. It was very young by the looks of it.

 

[alexr]

yeah Splitmore - saw this really cool doco down by the CSIRO Marine Research on GW.

I can't find the details aus map on the net but it showed a GW moving from the Great Aus Bite up the east coast into QLD.

Here is what I could find however...(the snippet of text is from the url below.)

http://www.marine.csiro.au/research/whitesharks/ozmovements.html
In Australia, white sharks have been recorded from central Queensland to North West Cape in Western Australia, but they most commonly are found in southern waters. Scientists at CSIRO Marine Research (CMR) are using a range of tag types to learn more about these movement patterns and the links between populations.

The broad-scale movements of white sharks tagged in southern Australia suggest the population mixes across their Australian range, as well as across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. It confirms research findings in other parts of the world that white sharks also sometimes swim in the open ocean and can cross ocean basins, on occasion swimming at depths exceeding 500 metres. The purpose of their deep-water forays is unknown.

Seasonal patterns
White sharks appear to move up eastern and Western Australia on a seasonal basis but the timing varies between the two coasts. They move up the east coast in autumn-winter to areas as far north as central Queensland and then return south during spring.

In the west, they move up the coast as far as North West Cape during spring and appear to return during the summer. It is not known what percentage of the population undertake these migrations, but many of these same sharks probably spend at least some of the year in South Australian waters, particularly in the Great Australian Bight.



In Australia, white sharks have been recorded from central Queensland to North West Cape in Western Australia, but they most commonly are found in southern waters. Scientists at CSIRO Marine Research (CMR) are using a range of tag types to learn more about these movement patterns and the links between populations.

The broad-scale movements of white sharks tagged in southern Australia suggest the population mixes across their Australian range, as well as across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. It confirms research findings in other parts of the world that white sharks also sometimes swim in the open ocean and can cross ocean basins, on occasion swimming at depths exceeding 500 metres. The purpose of their deep-water forays is unknown.

Seasonal patterns
White sharks appear to move up eastern and Western Australia on a seasonal basis but the timing varies between the two coasts. They move up the east coast in autumn-winter to areas as far north as central Queensland and then return south during spring.

In the west, they move up the coast as far as North West Cape during spring and appear to return during the summer. It is not known what percentage of the population undertake these migrations, but many of these same sharks probably spend at least some of the year in South Australian waters, particularly in the Great Australian Bight.

 

[danw]

How freaky we go to holidays at The Entrance..I really hate big sharks I can't understand how some people like to swim with them ..not my cup of tea

 

[Guest]

New there was a reason I didnt go swimming anymore

 

[Grant]

great whites i'm not worried about. its those vicious bull shark buggers that I can't stand, those things eat anything and can be found anywhere. Tigers to, I hate tigers, eating machines. But i'm generally scared of all sharks, except white tips, they swim under you a bit when you're out surfing and do sweet FA.

 

[The Rock]

Yeah, freaky seeing a shark swim under you isnt it. Been chased out of the water a number of times in NZ, and once on north sraddie, at remote beaches by large sharks and when ever you seem to see one theres always a big lull with no sets on the horizon. Freaky stuff.

 

[NoOne]

You would be very suprised at the kinds of fish that swim into central coast estuaries.
Not only some cold water fish but some of the weird tropical sport fish that flock into the lakes is amazing, the tropical fish stay in the lakes and hang out at the hotwater run offs from the power stations.
I got a big suprise when fishing at munmorah (spelling) power station and a gaint hearing took a popper off the surface 6ft in front of me, but being giant herring it didn't stay connected to the hard bodied popper for long.

At the end of the day i wouldn't swim in very many of NSW estuaries after some of the things i've seen first hand come out of them.....it's not great whites you have to be worried about it's bull sharks :shock: :shock: and to a lesser extent tiger sharks :shock:

 

[krusty]

its a bit sad it died

 

[Rossagon]

Thats crazy, I used to go prawning with my grandfather of Canton Beach and Elizabeth Bay!! glad i didn't know that these were around there back then!!
Speaking of tigers, my cousin and I were fishing off Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin harbour in July this year. Managed to hook a tiger with a handline on 100lb line and steel trace ( the fish are big up there!!) We thought it was around 2 metres, but its a long way down from the wharf to the water so our judgement can't be the best, but i can still say it was BIG!!

 

[bwana]

Wow,
My nephew and myself used to fish under The Entrance bridge for whiting. You have to wade in to your waist. What a nightmare!