A mako shark leaped out of the water and crash landed on a Coromandel charter boat off the coast of New Whitianga, New Zealand on Saturday, November 5, wherein the incident left the marine animal unharmed.
The boat consisted of a fishing group, who was shocked when the shark suddenly appeared out of nowhere since they were hunting a different type of fish, according to local sources in New Zealand.
Jumping Mako Shark Video
Originally appearing on Storyful, as per reports, the incident was captured on video by the group and was also uploaded on YouTube by the channel ABC7 on Wednesday, November 9.
The 1 minute, 20 second-clip started as soon as the jumping mako shark was already on the front of the fishing vessel, trashing around and leaving the group startled and stunned.
The large mako shark was believed to weigh around 150 kilos when it crashed the aboard, which gave the fishing crew a once-in-a-lifetime experience, according to Australian media.
The video went viral on social media earlier this week and highlighted the rare event where aquatic animals land on a boat, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Also Read: Catching Mako Sharks Will be Banned in Atlantic States
Charter Boat Fish Hunt
Last Saturday, Churchys Charter NZ skipper, Ryan Churches, set sail off the coast of Whitianga, a town in the Walkato region of New Zealand's North Island, with five customers to hunt a kingfish, according to the New Zealand Herald.
In unexpected turn of events, the giant sea creature landed on the boat after being hooked on the bait.
Churches told the New Zealand Herald that it was the first time he has ever witnessed a shark jumping into a boat, which he described the rare encounter as a "bonkers."
In addition, the skipper confirmed the Mako shark was about 150 kilograms and had a length of eight to nine feet.
Fortunately, the people aboard were on the back part of the vessel when the shark landed.
Not shown in the YouTube footage, Churches also told the Herald there were concerns that they would have to intervene at that time, however, the shark was able to escape by itself for a maximum of "two-minute tops."
What are Mako Sharks?
Also called as "Isurus" in the scientific community, the term mako shark commonly refer to as the group of remaining shark species; known as the longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus) or longfin makos and the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) or shortfin makos.
Both sharks only have a slight morphological difference when it comes to the evidence length of their fins.
The longfin makos have longer pectoral fins, while shortfin makos have pointed, conical snouts.
According to sharksider.com, some of the following pointers serve as fast facts for mako sharks:
- fastest shark species in the world
- extremely intelligent
- prefers warm waters
- warm blooded animals
- opportunistic hunters
Mako sharks can also be found in other parts of the world.
In July, a confused photographer spotted a shortfin mako shark off the coast of Barcelona, Spain.
In May, an unidentified 10-foot mako shark was spotted by a fisherman near the shore of a Long Island beach in New York, United States.
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