Pregnant hammerhead shark found dead at Delray Beach

Pregnant hammerhead shark found dead at Delray Beach
35 pups the shark was carrying couldn’t be saved

By Jerome Burdi, Sun Sentinel
6:17 p.m. EDT, April 30, 2010

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/pal...0.story?page=1

Delray Beach

The massive bloody carcass of a pregnant great hammerhead carried 35 dead pups in her belly when she washed ashore on Delray Beach. They can serve as a reminder: Man is the greatest predator.

The shark, considered endangered by advocates, had a large tear in its mouth from a fisherman's hook.

"The biggest problem hammerheads are facing is definitely people," said Mikki McComb, a shark researcher at Florida Atlantic University.

Hammerheads are notorious fighters when challenged for sport. The problem is after the struggle, they become exhausted and frequently drown, experts say.

"Hammerhead sharks appear to be the most vulnerable to capture stress and prone to post-release mortality," said Neil Hammerschlag, director at R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program at the University of Miami. "While fighting on a line, their normal swimming ability is greatly impaired, making it difficult for them to pump water over their gills."

The 13-foot shark washed up about 3 p.m. Wednesday in the 200 block of North Ocean Boulevard, and a large crowd gathered around.

Brendal Davis, a researcher at R.J. Dunlap, was at the beach that day when she noticed the commotion. She helped try to save the pups, but when she cut open their mother's body, she realized it was too late.

"She was very healthy pregnant female," Davis said. "It's not very often we find hammerheads that large anymore…It was heartbreaking."

Davis suspected the female shark was 20 to 30 years old and was about a month away from giving birth.

It's important to maintain large predators in the sea to keep checks over fish populations, she said

A witness did see fishermen in the area about 5 a.m. Wednesday. They had a camper pickup with a shark fishing club bumper sticker, police said.

Police are not investigating because it is unclear where the hook came from and whether a crime was committed, police spokesman Jeff Messer said.

"Hammerheads can be recreationally and commercially harvested," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro said. "They are not a prohibited species."

The FWC does not consider great hammerheads endangered.

One of the greatest threats to hammerheads is being hunted for shark fin soup, researchers said.

Recreational diver Scott Williams, 35, of Delray Beach, had the rare opportunity of seeing the deceased shark, then a few hours later seeing a live one while diving about a mile off shore.

After seeing the size of the dead one, he hoped to never run into one under the sea. But when he did, from a 30-yard distance, he was enchanted. The full-grown shark took a look at him, then craned its massive head back down, apparently looking for food.

"It was elegant. I wasn't scared like I thought I would be," Williams said. "It was real docile. It didn't seem aggressive in any way. I was awestruck."

The remains of the dead shark were buried on the beach nearby.