Dead Sixgill Shark washes up on Puget Sound beach!
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
Dead Sixgill Shark washes up on Puget Sound beach!
Wow! How'd you like to go for a stroll on the beach and find THIS!
http://www.kirotv.com/news/11154686/detail.html
Make sure that you look at ALL of the photos. The ones showing the teeth and the baby shots are particularly interesting.
- John
http://www.kirotv.com/news/11154686/detail.html
Make sure that you look at ALL of the photos. The ones showing the teeth and the baby shots are particularly interesting.
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
- Pinkpadigal
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 1060
- Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:19 pm
Sad...makes you wonder though if it wasn't another causalty of the low O2 levels in Hood Canal.
Amy Rhodes
PADI Master Instructor #183890
A-2-Z Scuba Instruction
http://www.a2zscuba.com
*******************
PADI Master Instructor #183890
A-2-Z Scuba Instruction
http://www.a2zscuba.com
*******************
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
Except that it is not in Hood Canal.....Hamersley Inlet is WAY south in Puget Sound, just west of the southern tip of Hartstene Island. It's REALLY shallow there, so I wonder if the dead shark drifted for a long time before winding up there on that beach.Pinkpadigal wrote:Sad...makes you wonder though if it wasn't another causalty of the low O2 levels in Hood Canal.
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
Hi John,John Rawlings wrote:.....Hamersley Inlet is WAY south in Puget Sound, just west of the southern tip of Hartstene Island. It's REALLY shallow there, so I wonder if the dead shark drifted for a long time before winding up there on that beach.- John
I grew up on Hammersley Inlet, and like you, I was pretty amazed that a large sixgill washed up on a beach there. Most of the inlet is less than 30' deep with only a few spots that reach only to about 50'.
However, then I remembered that when I was a kid (a loooong time ago), we had a dogfish derby in the Inlet and one of the kids reeled in a (very much alive) Sixgill shark right in front of Walker Park.
We've also seen juvenile sixgills around Itsami Ledge, which is very shallow and not far from Hammersley Inlet, so I'm thinking theres more to their reproductive cycle than just deep, dark and cold. Maybe they head to shallow water to give birth? Who knows?
- enchantmentdivi
- Amphibian
- Posts: 807
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:24 am
- Pinkpadigal
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 1060
- Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:19 pm
So much for my Puget Sound/Hood Canal Geography. ](*,) Thank you all for correcting me!
Amy Rhodes
PADI Master Instructor #183890
A-2-Z Scuba Instruction
http://www.a2zscuba.com
*******************
PADI Master Instructor #183890
A-2-Z Scuba Instruction
http://www.a2zscuba.com
*******************
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
Well, it's pretty well known that at least here in the PNW the females come into shallower water to pup....but I would have NEVER expected them in such shallow water as that inlet. Still, your memory of one being caught on rod and reel when you were a kid proves that they have historically been there. Just goes to show how little we REALLY know about the species.boydski wrote: I grew up on Hammersley Inlet, and like you, I was pretty amazed that a large sixgill washed up on a beach there. Most of the inlet is less than 30' deep with only a few spots that reach only to about 50'.
However, then I remembered that when I was a kid (a loooong time ago), we had a dogfish derby in the Inlet and one of the kids reeled in a (very much alive) Sixgill shark right in front of Walker Park.
We've also seen juvenile sixgills around Itsami Ledge, which is very shallow and not far from Hammersley Inlet, so I'm thinking theres more to their reproductive cycle than just deep, dark and cold. Maybe they head to shallow water to give birth? Who knows?
For any of you that have had fun tugging a Sixgill's tail at Cove 2, what did you think of that photo showing the teeth?
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
I was told that everytime there has been a bait put out at the aquirem in Seattle sharks have shown up. There just seems to be many more around in the summer.
I am intrested in what killed it. Does anyone know of any way to follow this story?
A fisherman I know saw a six footer floating in the narrows last year in the early summer.I guess if they live here they will die here.
I am intrested in what killed it. Does anyone know of any way to follow this story?
A fisherman I know saw a six footer floating in the narrows last year in the early summer.I guess if they live here they will die here.
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
Some information about the Sixgill shark as well as the Aquarium project can be found here:
http://www.nwdivenews.com/back_issues_g ... 8xNi5qcGc=
http://www.nwdivenews.com/back_issues_g ... 8xNi5qcGc=
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
The aquarium's tagging efforts have been on hold for the past ~9 months. Their cage got removed/destroyed by various pile driving activities to reinforce the pier for the new exhibit (all the piles were replaced I think) no more creosote.
They may have things up and going again during the summer. Until then, there's no chumsicles out there changing the Elliott Bay shark bahavior patterns.
They may have things up and going again during the summer. Until then, there's no chumsicles out there changing the Elliott Bay shark bahavior patterns.
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
As I understand it, though, they still want divers to report the sighting of sharks, especially the tagged ones.CaptnJack wrote:The aquarium's tagging efforts have been on hold for the past ~9 months. Their cage got removed/destroyed by various pile driving activities to reinforce the pier for the new exhibit (all the piles were replaced I think) no more creosote.
They may have things up and going again during the summer. Until then, there's no chumsicles out there changing the Elliott Bay shark bahavior patterns.
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
How many sixgills do you guys see in a typical year of diving?
Before last summer I never looked,I never saw one either.Last summer I did 10 dives just where sharks had been seen before and was rewarded with three sightings. Jeff told me I reported the most sightings last summer.This makes me think people aren't reporting sightings.
He also said that the reports are pretty important for his population study.I hope everone that sees a sixgill fills out the form it only takes a minute.Points of intrest if I remember correctly were tags, location, approx. time, # of sharks, sex if possible,and depth.
Before last summer I never looked,I never saw one either.Last summer I did 10 dives just where sharks had been seen before and was rewarded with three sightings. Jeff told me I reported the most sightings last summer.This makes me think people aren't reporting sightings.
He also said that the reports are pretty important for his population study.I hope everone that sees a sixgill fills out the form it only takes a minute.Points of intrest if I remember correctly were tags, location, approx. time, # of sharks, sex if possible,and depth.
- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
I did report the one we saw, but they never got in touch with me- I recieved an e-mail saying that my e-mail had been forwarded to the 6-gill folks, but nothing after that.John Rawlings wrote:As I understand it, though, they still want divers to report the sighting of sharks, especially the tagged ones.CaptnJack wrote:The aquarium's tagging efforts have been on hold for the past ~9 months. Their cage got removed/destroyed by various pile driving activities to reinforce the pier for the new exhibit (all the piles were replaced I think) no more creosote.
They may have things up and going again during the summer. Until then, there's no chumsicles out there changing the Elliott Bay shark bahavior patterns.
I had some video that they wanted to see.I did report the one we saw, but they never got in touch with me- I recieved an e-mail saying that my e-mail had been forwarded to the 6-gill folks, but nothing after that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8LNAyddnuo
This makes me really sad.. Especially the babies. I suppose its possible that she might have had problems birthing? I am assuming by the babies inside that six gills give live births. Does anyone know if they are single births or mulitiple? Like in some shark species where the babies canniblize each other in the womb.. She had several babies in there from the pictures.. Really really sad..
"Well I, I wont go down by myself, but I'll go down with my friends!"
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
Yes, Sixgill sharks are oviviparous - the babies develop in the womb and are born swimming.GillyWeed wrote:This makes me really sad.. Especially the babies. I suppose its possible that she might have had problems birthing? I am assuming by the babies inside that six gills give live births. Does anyone know if they are single births or mulitiple? Like in some shark species where the babies canniblize each other in the womb.. She had several babies in there from the pictures.. Really really sad..
Amongst shark species only the Blue Shark is capable of producing larger litters of pups than the Sixgill. I found a reference to a female Sixgill that had 108 embryos in her uterus! Does anyone know how many embryos were found within this dead shark when she was opened up by WDFW?
The photos appear to show that the babies might have been pretty well developed....I wonder if some were born prior to the death of the mother?
I've found no reference to the babies cannibalizing each other within the womb, as occurs in some other shark species.
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
Hi John,John Rawlings wrote: Does anyone know how many embryos were found within this dead shark when she was opened up by WDFW?
The photos appear to show that the babies might have been pretty well developed....I wonder if some were born prior to the death of the mother?
I've found no reference to the babies cannibalizing each other within the womb, as occurs in some other shark species.
- John
I've heard a couple of numbers mentioned, but they found something like 75 babies inside the shark and there were a couple found near her body that were most likely still born.
Very sad indeed.
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
Thanks, Georgia and Scott!
Wow! That's a big loss. My curiosity is piqued! I hope that if WDFW is able to determine the cause of death they will share the information with the public.
Wouldn't it be something to be underwater when a Sixgill is giving birth and be able to watch it?
- John
Wow! That's a big loss. My curiosity is piqued! I hope that if WDFW is able to determine the cause of death they will share the information with the public.
Wouldn't it be something to be underwater when a Sixgill is giving birth and be able to watch it?
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
- John Rawlings
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 5781
- Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:00 am
Hee Hee Hee.....an EXCELLENT point!WylerBear wrote:Having been around humans when giving birth and seeing how usually very pleasant, mild-mannered women become SHE-DEVILS, I'm not sure I'd want to be close to a shark giving birth.
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com
http://johnrawlings.smugmug.com/
- Sergeant Pepper
- Perma Narc'd
- Posts: 702
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 5:52 pm
Not to mention the fact that it's a beautiful experience, and not necessarily a beautiful sight.John Rawlings wrote:Hee Hee Hee.....an EXCELLENT point!WylerBear wrote:Having been around humans when giving birth and seeing how usually very pleasant, mild-mannered women become SHE-DEVILS, I'm not sure I'd want to be close to a shark giving birth.
I don't mind losing, but I do mind sucking!