Scientists tagged this great white shark and another off Chatham yesterday. (Greg Skomal/Massachusetts Division)
Posted on 09/06/2009 7:26:58 AM PDT by Libloather
3 great whites are ID’d off coast
Tags put on 2 sharks; some beaches closed
By Meghan E. Irons
Globe Staff / September 6, 2009
The fisherman had just one shot to mark the great white.
Captain Bill Chaprales walked to the front of his 22-foot harpoon vessel, raised the 12-foot-long tagging pole, and threw it purposefully onto the back side of the enormous shark, which was 4 to 5 feet below the surface.
Tagged.
“He did it in one shot,’’ said state biologist Greg Skomal, whose team tagged two great whites yesterday. “We don’t swing the bat unless it’s a strike. It’s got to be a perfect shot.’’
As Chatham officials announced they were closing all of the town’s East Side beaches, state marine biologists were pulling off the high-tech accomplishment out on the ocean.
The first shark was tagged at 9 a.m. near the southern tip of Monomoy Island, off Chatham. A second was tagged at 3:30 p.m. about a mile north of the first - each with a single move. A third was also spotted but not tagged.
“They were right around a 1,000 pounds apiece,’’ said Chaprales, a 58-year-old tuna fisherman and lobsterman from Marstons Mills, a village in Barnstable.
Chaprales said he had worked with biologists at the New England Aquarium years ago to tag other species of sharks and bluefin tuna.
“We’ve done this before,’’ he said. “It doesn’t hurt the sharks.’’
The tagging occurred days after officials set out to identify the species of five sharks seen about a mile off Monomoy Island last week. As of yesterday, marine scientists had identified three great white sharks in that area.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Sharks...I though you were talking about Reagan, Cheney and Rush.
Perhaps the sharks are fed up with liberals in Mass. California is next.
TEDDY???
That's just racist. What about all the great blacks off coast who are never ID'd?
Chuckle. Thanks.
Seriously. Do we HAVE to call them “Great WHITES”?
We’ve got to get a longer pole!!!!!!!!!
I’ve had a shark beside my boat that looked bigger than my 23 foot boat sailing out of San Francisco. I was a little scary. Yes there are big fish in the ocean.
Sharks won't eat liberals--not enough meat, and it gives them diarrhea.
From the title, I thought they were talking about 3 outstanding white people.
Sharks...I though you were talking about Kennedy, Kerry and Frank
Hmmm. I suspect Van Jones has a hand in this. /s
4 great whites are ID’d in South Dakota
I think we should object vehemently and strenuously to get their name changed. I mean - they're ACTUALLY light grey. This Great White stuff just helps reinforce stereotypes fosters racist attitudes and diminishes us as Caucasians.
The Birther contingent is all over that issue.....
Thanks. Very informative.
You're gonna need a bigger boat. 
This thread has me chuckling this morning. ;-p
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