White Shark Killed in Nets - Ensenada, Mexico

Peter Thomas has full coverage of the white shark recently released from Monterey Bay AQ only to be caught and killed off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico.

A blow to tagged shark research and a follow up to our own investigations of the Ensenada fish market where, over the past 5 years, we have been documenting the take of juvenile whites sold as swordfish here for 60-100 pesos a kilo.

Peter Thomas Blog:

A young great white shark that was released after 69 days of captivity at Monterey Bay Aquarium has died in a commercial fisherman's net off Ensenada, Mexico.

Scientists had tagged the female shark and were following its movements after its release last November. They became concerned recently when a tag attached to the shark's dorsal fin revealed movements over land.

Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki, a Mexican researcher, traced the movements to the home of a fisherman who acknowledged catching the shark in his gill-net.

Complete Story.

White Shark Cafe-SOFA-White Shark Cafe...

After what has seemed like a decade of tagging and tracking the Marine Conservation Science Institute has published data from it's multi-year white shark study at Isla Guadalupe.

Pete Thomas from the L.A Times got the scoop.

As a side note the battle between TOPP's and the Marine Conservation Science Institute for the naming rights to the mysterious terminus point these animals gather at each season has heated up with MCSI's addition "SOFA" (Shared Offshore Foraging Area).

We'll let you decide which name will stick:

1. MCSI-"SOFA"

2. TOPP-"White Shark Cafe"

Editors Note: We like both.

Tagged white shark moves inland?

A west coast white shark pup tagged and released earlier this year has been tracked into the Sea of Cortez.

As recent data sets would suggest the tag is now moving inland at a high rate of speed. Researchers say this is just preliminary data and that the shark is probably still in the water and doing fine.

Or...the tag is currently on the antenna of a fisherman's truck driving back to the coast. (click image for larger view)

Full news report here. As always we'll keep you updated. On an amusing side note this animal went from being a US citizen to a Mexican national in less than three weeks.