Over the weekend, an unexpected passenger was spotted on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea – a shark! The cruise line was quick to take action and issued a warning to passengers to stay out of the water while they investigated what type of shark it was.
Reports from passengers onboard the ship described it as a large, grayish-brown shark with a short snout and dorsal fin. It was estimated to be roughly 8-9ft long, indicating it was an adult size.
This wasn’t the typical shark sighting you would expect in the Mediterranean Sea. Most commonly seen are small, harmless sharks such as nurse sharks and dogfish sharks. The presence of this larger, potentially dangerous species is an anomaly.
The Shark Was Identified as a Great Hammerhead Shark
After consulting with experts and examining photos taken by passengers, it was determined that the shark seen on board the cruise ship was indeed a great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran). The great hammerhead is one of the largest species of hammerhead shark. It can grow up to 20 feet in length and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds!
The great hammerhead is considered an apex predator due to its large size and powerful jaws. Although their attack rate is low, they are considered potentially dangerous when provoked or when attracted by food sources like schools of fish.
Conclusion
The unexpected visitor on board this particular cruise ship turned out to be a great hammerhead shark – one of the largest species of hammerhead sharks out there! While sightings like this are rare, it serves as a reminder that apex predators can pop up in unexpected places!