Massive Bull Shark Caught In Sydney Harbor
A fisherman in Sydney harbor recently recorded his fight with a ten-foot-long bull shark, as he wrestled with the predator for over two hours before bringing it to shore.
Damon Smith-Horak was on the hunt for kingfish in the harbor last week when he snared the bull shark, according to the Daily Mail. After hooking the massive shark, Smith-Horak fought the predator for over two hours, just 500m off Watson’s Bay. Recording the entire battle, Smith-Horak’s friend documented his fight with the bull shark, during which he used a simple rod and reel to best the fish.
The shark was the third to approach Smith-Horak’s line and take his bait, though it proved to be the first predator he could remain engaged with, Nine News reports. While his fellow fishermen seemed wary of the bull shark, asserting that it was going to attack their boat, Smith-Horak nevertheless managed bring the animal into the vessel and back to shore.
Fishermen film their encounter with a bullshark in Sydney Harbour. @LauraTunstall9 http://t.co/k4BvhHe5JY #9News pic.twitter.com/Kgo7RMF1Hx
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) January 25, 2015
The bull shark was caught in a region that is popular with swimmers and divers, amid the announcement of a new proposal, forwarded by NSW Premier Mike Baird, that would utilize sonar technology to track sharks near beaches. The proposal came after underwater footage emerged showing that shark nets, used to dissuade the predators from approaching shore, are torn and ragged around some NSW beaches, exhibiting holes large enough for a shark to pass through.
“The expectation is, as the sonar comes out there is an understating they will pick up the sharks in the beaches and that will be texted back to lifesavers on the ground to take early action, early warning,” Baird explained.
Video of the moment a 3 metre bull shark is caught in Sydney harbour. Coming up on @9NewsSyd at 6pm pic.twitter.com/Mu8gX1WalS — Laura Tunstall (@LauraTunstall9) January 25, 2015
Though some would be concerned about the bull shark’s presence in Sydney harbor, Smith-Horak asserted that his catch was a good sign, demonstrating how much the area has been cleaned up in recent years.
“If they were actually out there to get you there’d be a lot more attacks,” he noted.
Bull sharks are common in Australian waters, and are known for their ability to tolerate fresh water. In August of last year, a group of tourists recorded an unusual scene on the Adelaide river, as a crocodile squared off against a bull shark. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the victor of the fight wasn’t determined, and the fate of the bull shark remains unknown.
[Image: Nine News via the Daily Mail]
