Fishing crew fights off 8-foot-long shark over a swordfish; Extraordinary moment captured on camera; Watch

New Zealand fisherman Tony Walker recently had an extraordinary encounter while fishing for swordfish in Australia's Coral Sea. He and his crew came across an eight-foot-long mako shark trying to steal their prized catch. In an Instagram video posted on July 5, one crew member shouted, "Angry Mako!" as they struggled to retrieve the swordfish from the shark's grasp. Another crew member passionately exclaimed, "Get off my fish! Give me my fish! Give it to me!" as they wrestled with the determined shark to secure their prized catch from the sea.

After a massive chunk of the swordfish's tail was chewed off, the crew successfully hauled it up. But the shark circled back to the boat for a second bite, but the crew managed to reel in the swordfish, albeit with a large chunk of its tail missing. The Instagram clip of the encounter went viral, garnering over 21 million views. Tony Walker, the fisherman, explained that mako sharks commonly target the tails of swordfish to eat at their leisure.

Encounters with mako sharks are frequent for Walker and his crew, with the sharks often lingering under the boat. Other fishermen have faced similar challenges, as a father-daughter duo recently dealt with a great white shark attempting to snatch their catch.


Tony Walker is not alone in facing sharks while fishing. In June, a father and daughter duo had a similar encounter with a great white shark attempting to snatch their sea bass catch right off their fishing hook, as reported by USA Today.

In the caption sharing the extraordinary encounter with mako shark, Tony Walker wrote, ““Getttt off my fish!” Mako having a good munch!”

Watch the video here:

FAQs:

Q1:What is a mako shark?
The mako shark is a formidable predator found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. It holds the title of the fastest shark, reaching speeds up to 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour). Impressively, these sharks can leap out of the water, reaching heights of up to 20 feet (6 meters).

Q2:What is a swordfish?
The swordfish is a sizeable predatory fish known for its long, flat, pointed bill. It belongs to the billfish category and is highly sought after as a sport fish, though challenging to catch. As they mature, swordfish become elongated and round-bodied, losing all teeth and scales. These fish are abundant in tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and can usually be found from the surface to depths of 550 meters (1,800 feet), with some exceptional sightings going as deep as 2,234 meters.