A shark so enormous it literally triggered satellite monitoring devices was just found off the coast of Australia. This is the part where you ask, “HOW ENORMOUS?”
16 feet long. A lithe 3,600 pounds. And it even carries a wonderful name: “Joan of Shark.”
The shark was last spotted near the town of Albany, in the south of Western Australia. City officials have advised residents to stay out of the water, but good news: the shark carries a sophisticated electronic tag in its stomach which authorities say will be used to track its location for more than a decade.
It’s believed to be the largest shark ever tagged. From the Telegraph:
The huge shark, which is believed to be around 30 years old, has not left the area. She was detected early on Tuesday morning off Ellen Cove, one of Albany’s most popular beaches, prompting warnings to swimmers.
“Obviously, with that whale incident and because of the distress signals that it would have sent out, it would have attracted sharks and they will probably frequent the beach for the next few days,” said Martin Kleeman, a spokesman for the state department of fisheries.
Mr Kleeman described the successful tagging of a shark that size as “potentially a world first”.
“For the next 10 years, we’ll be able to keep a track of her movements, which is going to open up a whole new world,” he continued. “We’ll have a better understanding of the large-scale movements of white sharks.”
Look at that beast. Sharks are scary as shit.
Monster 16-foot great white dubbed ‘Joan of Shark’ closes Australia’s beaches http://t.co/VVonM3rEY3pic.twitter.com/VNgpfBu1Eq
— Brad Luck (@BradLuckNBC) April 16, 2014