There's always a bigger fish...

[bayala]

An Australian fisherman pulled in what he thought was a massive shark, only to find it was just the head.

His gruesome* discovery has intrigued* the world this week, going viral* on social media and making headlines right across Australia, in many overseas newspapers and even on CNN TV news in the US.

The mako shark, which would have been about 300kg when it was in one piece, had been eaten by something just as big, if not bigger, and the world is curious to know what.

Jasper Lay holding the 100kg mako head caught off the coast of Bermagui, NSW. Picture: Jason Moyce/Facebook

To top it off, the mako had the big bill of a marlin embedded* in its throat.

Commercial fisherman Jason “Trapman” Moyce, from Bermagui, on the NSW Far South Coast, was fishing for smaller species using fishing lines when he pulled in the 100kg head of a mako about 8km offshore from Bermagui. He didn’t see what had eaten the mako.

 

Though it is common to see sharks eaten by other sharks, this was surprising because mako sharks are such big and aggressive predators and this particular mako was a big one.

He guessed that it was eaten by an even bigger mako or a great white shark, though others have suggested it could have been a tiger shark.

Mr Moyce posted a photo on social media platform Facebook of his apprentice Jasper Lay — who had only been on the job for three weeks — holding the shark head.

 

Mr Moyce, who has been fishing in the area for eight years, told ABC that he felt “unnerved*” about being out in his boat in the ocean with something big enough to eat the mako.

“With the size of that shark head, makes you wonder what else is out there!!” Mr Moyce posted on Facebook.

Apart from the mystery of what ate the shark, there’s the matter of the marlin bill stuck in the mako’s throat.

The marlin bill that was stuck in the mako's throat. Picture: Jason Moyce/Facebook

Mr Moyce said the injury caused by the 30cm bill had healed, suggesting that the marlin attack had happened years ago.

“It just shows the amazing healing powers of sharks,” Mr Moyce told ABC.

“They’re quite an amazing creature, really.”

[Astar20]

Massive sharks, massive crocs, my in-laws are coming here lol not sure I want to visit Oz

[TheFullMontecristo]

[cigcars]

  Hmm...dangerous BIG animals everywhere...

[steelcity]

That mako was dead on a longline and several other sharks ate it. 

[bsubtown]

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