Shortfin Mako Shark

Mako Shark

Isurus oxyrinchus

Size:
to 12 ft

Habitat:
open ocean, coastal

Notes: dangerous

A smaller cousin of the Great White, Mako sharks are renowned for their speed, and their powerful and aerobatic fight when hooked. They are also thought by some researchers to possess greater intelligence than other species. As a result of over-exploitation by long-liners and sport fishermen, the local population has collapsed, and large trophy-sized individuals have not been caught off New Jersey for many years, although small ones are still common.

Shortfin Mako Sharks are generally considered to be excellent table fare. Not so for Longfin Makos, which are found in the deep ocean, out beyond the Gulf Stream.

Mako Shark
The Mako has a snow-white belly much like its larger cousin the Great White.
Mako Shark
Large Makos are said to be capable of leaping more than 20 feet out of the water.
Mako Shark
A hooked Mako near the surface, showing the distinct white patch around the mouth.
Promotional video for Shark Shield electronic shark repeller
It seems to be pretty effective

Beneath the Waves

Stolt Dagali
Diver Roy Sorenson swims over the wreck Stolt Dagali

By Steve Nagiewicz & Herb Segars
Photography by Herb Segars

We have all watched television and marveled at the presentations of renowned underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau, or the movie fiction of Peter Benchley's "Jaws" or "The Deep." they have given us a glimpse into the strange underwater world that few of us get to explore. Yet how many of us have sat along the water's edge and wondered what mysteries must lie beneath the waves?

Printed from njscuba.net