iStockphoto / Anton Zacon / RoschetzkyIstockPhoto
large albino hammerhead shark next to the Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier in Wrightsville, North Carolina
Albinism, the genetic condition which leads to little to no product of melanin, is extremely rare throughout the animal kingdom. This is especially true in adult animals as albino creatures in the wild lack their natural camouflage and stand out like a sore thumb to predators. Just how rare albinism is in hammerhead sharks is not documented because scientists do not have a way to accurately gauge just how rare of a phenomenon it is, but it is extremely uncommon to say the least.
Among all sharks, rays, and skates, albinism and leucism only occurs in 5% of all subspecies or 69 species in total. Of those 69 are the hammerhead shark, and one albino hammerhead shark was just spotted feeding on bait fish off the Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier in Wrightsville, North Carolina.
Extremely Rare Albino Hammerhead Shark Spotted Off North Carolina Fishing Pier
Footage of this mythical-looking creature was shared by the official @johnnie_mercers_fishing_pier account. And it should be noted that shark fishing from the pier is prohibited.
They estimated this albino hammerhead shark to measure around 8-9′ in length which, all things considered, is still relatively small. For context, the IGFA fishing world record for the Great Hammerhead subspecies was a 1,280-pound shark caught in Boca Grande, Florida, the tarpon fishing capital of the world, back in 2006. This species of shark can get HUGE and this one certainly has some growing left to do.
Looking through pictures that were recently posted by the Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier in Wrightsville, North Carolina where this ultra-rare albino hammerhead shark was spotted, it seems like the Fall kingfish bite is red hot. There are sharing ton of pictures of ‘smoker’ kingfish being landed from the fishing pier.
Kingfish (King Mackerel) are among the fastest fish in the ocean. They can reach speeds of 40-50 MPH according to Florida Sportsman, and they are a pelagic species that roams the oceans all throughout the earth.
Their speed mostly ensures they are not an easy meal for large hammerhead sharks but they likely feed on the same schools of bait fish as this rare albino hammerhead passing by the North Carolina pier. So it would stand to reason that sharks would be around in abundance with other apex predators in the area feasting on migrating schools of smaller fish.
Always around to steal a trophy fish…
With that said, just because hammerhead sharks are slower than kingfish it does not mean they won’t take a bite given the opportunity. Sharks turn into snipers at the worst of times, ie., fishing tournaments. This hammerhead made mincemeat of a trophy kingfish that would have won a N.C. fishing tournament years ago:
Wild stuff!
Have you ever seen an albino hammerhead in the wild? I don’t know why but it remind me of this Albino shark caught in England back in 2020 that looks like a goblin shark. Wild stuff.