Monster shark photo is a fake/legit?
Image via Wikipedia
A report out of Australia early this week tells a supposed tale of a monster great-white shark, possibly 20-feet long, that attacked and nearly bit in half a 10-foot great white (example of the species at left). A photo of this nearly bisected shark has flown around the internet — you can read it and see it here.
I am given to thinking that this photo is possibly a complete fake. (However, see Update #2 below; I’m up for revising my earlier point of view.)
The first thing that caught my eye is that the head of this shark looks very alive — its head is rearing up and its mouth is open for a strike. Sharks can keep snapping long after they’ve been subdued, but a shark with massive wounds like this would probably be totally limp, its head not thrashing and striking.
Second, and more telling, take a look at the coloration of the shark’s body just behind its gills. See that line? The shark’s body changes color along a perfectly vertical line; the white of its belly turns gray along a 90-degree edge. That’s Photoshop, ladies and gentlemen, not nature. This great-white shark head was stuck on another shark body, a shark body that does appear to be that of a small great white, but I’m not entirely sure.
Third, the placement of the shark’s right pectoral fin seems all wrong in relation to its distance from the shark’s head, and the size of the fin seems wrong in comparison to the head (the head seems too small), compared to a much better profile of the species (open both images side by side on your screen). Again, this is an indicator of Photoshop.
The edges of the bites also look like they’ve been manipulated. As have we, the audience. I’m calling bullshit.
UPDATE #1: Many thanks to a reader, Mr. Jolly (below), for pointing out that The SUN newspaper slugged the image for this story, “Fake-shark-pic”: http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00915/Fake-shark-pic_682_915958a.jpg.
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I’ll tell you what gave it away for me, I read the report in The Sun and the image file was called fake-shark.jpg
If that’s where the image originated you can blame The Sun.
Mr. Jolly — Ha, that’s the file name? Well, then. . .
The story I first saw ran in the Telegraph. Might have to dig a bit to find the original. Thanks for the clue.
In response to another comment. See in context »Here’s the article I read:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2699860/Attack-sparks-killer-shark-fears.html
When I went to pinch the image off the site (which they really don’t like you doing), I got this image URL:
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00915/Fake-shark-pic_682_915958a.jpg
I’ve just seen a video made by an Australian news company and they’re using the same image.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQtYO1LDalE
If The Sun really did just use a fake image I bet they’re laughing their socks off now!
Seems strange that if the photo was genuine The Sun would name it “Fake-shark-pic”
A bit of monstrous Halloweening by The Sun? I wonder what such a shark gag does for them right now — why run it?
Then again, it’s The Sun. “Why not?” is more like it.
In response to another comment. See in context »[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kelly Tyler, Diane Neff. Diane Neff said: hmm! Monster shark photo is a fake? http://bit.ly/2lJHNw [...]
There is a second photo from another angle going around. Whether than changes anything, I’m not sure.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Shark-Mauls-Great-White-Fears-In-Australia-After-Shark-Bitten-Off-Stradbroke-Island-Near-Brisbane/Article/200910415419981?lpos=World_News_First_Strange_News__Article_Teaser_Region__1&lid=ARTICLE_15419981_Shark_Mauls_Great_White%3A_Fears_In_Australia_After_Shark_Bitten_Off_Stradbroke_Island%2C_Near_Brisbane
Lane — Thanks for this. That’s a much better photo. I might be wrong.
In response to another comment. See in context »Hey Scott,
Pretty darn good Photoshoppers!
The other thing to check was:
“It certainly opened up my eyes. I mean the shark that was caught is a substantial shark in itself,” Queensland Fisheries’ Jeff Krause told Australia’s Daily Telegraph.”
A quick Google will tell you that minister does exist. You’d have to mail the office, or look for a report on the ministry’s website to confirm whether he made that statement as the Sun alleges the Daily Telegaph claimed.
Even then, you’d want to confirm he saw the shark first-hand (or had it on good authority) and wasn’t just commenting on the “fake photo”.
So why the “fake shark” filename? Ask the Sun. Maybe their reporter couldn’t believe it was real.
(PS.. writing from Where Light Meets Dark – examining the evidence for rare fauna)
Could be fake, could be real- just wanted to make a few shark related points that might tend to prove it is, in fact, real. First, as I understand, the Oz government was towing dead whales to an island in the general area. Dead whales are incredibly putrid and very large White sharks are apt to congregate at dead whales- many believe it serves a dual function: eating AND mating. Second, not-fully-grown sharks such as the one in the picture often tend to have larger pectoral fins in relation to their bodies, i.e., like a goofy teenager. And the size of pectoral fins varies in different individuals. With regards to growth rates of White sharks, compared to the shark in the picture, the largest sharks off Northern CA would also seem to have small dorsal fins, i.e., because their bodies have grown so large. Lastly, contrary to popular belief that results from the misplaced “mistaken identity” theory, mature White sharks do not just prey on pinnipeds. They are very much generalist feeders and will eat other sharks, birds and (albeit rarely) even people. In this regard, their ecological niche includes scavenging- whether dead whales, taking tuna off fishing lines or, as here, feasting on a trapped White shark that was presumably dead, or at least dying. Given that the victim shark appears to have its pectoral fins in a “threat display” posture- arguably with its jaws agape in self defense- it very well could have met its demise while on its last breath. In the alternative, that is water passing through the gutted shark’s open mouth. Accordingly, I say it is real for the aforementioned reasons, but then again photoshop has come a long way, my man. I mean, the only thing that looks photoshopped to me are the size of one of the shark’s claspers- one seems very long, but so is mine. Cheers for the article.
[...] jag tidigare skrivit om som nästan bitits itu av en förmodad jättehaj är förmodligen fejk. Tråkigt, man vill att sexmetershajar ska glida omkring. Vi får se om aftonbladet nappar. [...]
Hi Scott,
The shark is at odd angle and looks animated in the one photo because it is being towed behind the boat and so naturally is flopping around and in motion as the boat makes way. Sharks are well known for striking struggling fishes and/or other sharks, especially those caught on hook and line.
‘Dentuso’ at large!
Cheers,
Sean
S.R. Van Sommeran
Executive Director/CEO
The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
http://www.pelagic.org/research/index.html
http://www.pelagic.org/topp/topp.html
Santa Cruz California
Since 1990
[...] 1. The Aussie Super Shark: In October of 2009, reports out of Australia described a dead 9-foot great white shark that had been bitten nearly in half by another “super” great white off Deadman’s Beach. [...]