Latest news with #GreatWhiteShark
Kuwait Times
10-07-2025
- General
- Kuwait Times
Dive Team calls for shark protection
By Passant Hisham KUWAIT: As sightings of sharks increase in Kuwait's waters during the summer months, the Kuwait Dive Team is calling for stronger awareness and protection efforts, warning that these misunderstood marine creatures face far greater danger from humans than the other way around. 'Sharks have earned a bad reputation since the 1970s because of how the media portrayed them,' Kuwait Dive Team leader Waleed Al-Fadhel told Kuwait Times. 'Globally, there are over 400 shark species, but only one is truly dangerous to humans — the Great White Shark,' he added. 'In fact, most species found in Kuwaiti waters are harmless. In Kuwait's entire 300-year history, only two shark-related injuries have been recorded' Al-Fadhel explained that the rise in shark presence during summer is a natural phenomenon. Sharks are attracted to warm waters and are typically found in muddy areas up north, and to a lesser extent near coral reefs in the south, where they are generally small and non-aggressive. While the presence of sharks might alarm some beachgoers, Al-Fadhel stressed that humans pose the real threat. 'Studies show that 20 to 30 percent of the global shark population has been wiped out due to harmful human practices,' he told KUNA. Among the most damaging is shark finning — the practice of removing fins and discarding the body at sea. The fins are exported for use in what is considered the world's most expensive soup. Al-Fadhel noted that while some fishermen in Kuwait have engaged in this trade, commercial shark fishing is now banned in the country, as the sharks play important role in maintaining marine ecological balance. Al-Fadhel also urged the public not to feed sharks or other marine wildlife, as doing so alters their natural behavior and undermines their ecological role. 'Sharks help maintain balance in the marine environment by feeding on sick or injured fish,' he said. 'Feeding them changes their behavior, draws them closer to humans, and could increase the risk of unintended harm — both to the animal and the person.' To reduce the likelihood of encounters and promote coexistence, the Kuwait Dive Team recommended avoiding diving in muddy seabeds, where sharks are more likely to be found. They also advised spearfishers against tying their catch to their bodies, as the scent of blood can attract sharks. Al-Fadhel emphasized that the purpose of awareness campaigns is not to instill fear, but to foster respect for marine life and promote safer practices. The team, which operates under the Environmental Voluntary Foundation, has carried out multiple rescue operations across Kuwait's coast — including around Kubbar Island, where sharks have been found entangled in abandoned fishing nets. Al-Fadhel also noted that summer months bring a surge in jellyfish populations, particularly during June and July, sometimes leading to the temporary shutdown of desalination plants due to the overwhelming numbers. To manage their impact, nets and filters are installed at water intake sites. He described jellyfish as ancient marine organisms that migrate annually to Kuwaiti waters depending on currents and wind patterns. While the species found locally are not deadly, they can cause mild stings. Al-Fadhel recommended wearing full-body diving suits for protection and avoiding swimming in areas where jellyfish are concentrated. Like sharks, he added, jellyfish also play a vital ecological role as a food source for other marine species.
West Australian
22-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Bruce Brammall: Don't be bitten by the tight end of financial year deadline to top up your superannuation
Steven Spielberg's original Jaws movie was released 50 years ago last week. Middle of a Northern Hemisphere summer. The movie scared the poop out of a generation of kids, and even more adults. Beaches emptied. Nearly made extinct a generation of the volunteer profession of surf lifesavers. And (coming from a keen golfer) would Greg Norman's adopted moniker of 'Great White Shark' have ever had its influence without Jaws? Hmm. Did Jaws send a shiver down your spine? Good. Tune in to that. I'm trying to rustle up some fear, to prod you into action. June is grand final time for tax and superannuation. A week today is June 30. There are certain things you can do right up until the last day. And some things you can't. Making contributions to your super fund is one thing you can't leave until the dying seconds of the financial year. Certainly not if you're in a 'normal', or Australia Prudential Regulation Authority-regulated super fund. Why? Because the super fund needs to both receive the funds and be able to allocate it to your account by June 30. Banks and super funds are getting better, but still not all electronic funds transfer instantly. Funds are often transferred overnight, while BPAY can still take several days. For example, with certain transactions from my bank, if I transfer money after 5pm on a Friday night, it doesn't leave the account until the Monday, then arrives at the intended account on the Tuesday. And while super funds have been modernising, many still need to actually allocate the money to your account. That is, some funds have the money coming into a big bank account where all members pay to. Then they need to allocate it to your account, which needs to be done by close of business on June 30. So, don't risk leaving it till next Monday. Unless you know your super fund's policy, transfer it by no later than Wednesday, preferably today. If it doesn't arrive, or get allocated, until the Tuesday, the contribution will be attributed to next financial year. The Albanese Government has said it's going to push ahead with implementing its policy on taxing super funds over $3 million at a higher tax rate. This is going to make it even more important that couples, particularly high earners, work together when it comes to their super strategies, including end of financial year contributions. Why? For couples where at least one member is likely to build a large super balance, working together can help minimise tax on your super in the future. You don't want one person hitting $4m in super, while the other half of the couple has $1m. Spouse contribution splitting allows for the transfer of up to 85 per cent of concessional contributions between spouses, after the end of the financial year. If both members make their maximum $30,000 concessional contribution for the year, the member with the higher balance can transfer their contributions to the lower-balance member. If maximum contributions are made ($30,000 times two), one member could effectively end up with $51,000 ($60,000 times 85 per cent) into their account. Done every year, this can be a powerful way of evening up balances. And if you're going to make non-concessional contributions — which has a limit of $120,000 a year, where you can use up to two future years to put in up to $360,000 in one hit — obviously consider putting that into the account of the lower-balance spouse. June is an important month for super fund contributions, for many reasons. For concessional contributions ($30,000 limit), the two most important are making sure you get the tax deduction and the contribution in the right year. If you're an employer, you might want your business to have the tax deductions in the current financial year. While most small businesses don't have to pay their staff's super until 28 days after the end of a quarter, by paying June quarter staff super payments before June 30, you can claim the deduction this financial year instead of next. Note that the superannuation guarantee rate moves up to 12 per cent on July 1. Some might need to change their salary sacrifice arrangements. Don't put it off. If you're going to make contributions, make sure you get them done as soon as possible. Bruce Brammall is the author of Mortgages Made Easy and is both a financial adviser and mortgage broker. bruce@
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Mum terrified as girl, 9, walks out of sea with no hand and covered in blood
Leah Lendel, 9, was snorkelling in Florida on June 11 when she was attacked by a shark. She was airlifted to hospital and underwent a six-hour surgery to repair her hand A nine-year-old girl has recalled the moment she realised her hand had been bitten off in a terrifying shark attack. Leah Lendel shared her story during a press conference on Thursday, June 19, just over a week after she was bitten by a shark while snorkelling in Florida on June 11. "I was just snorkelling, and then I went up to breathe," Leah explained. "Then something hard bit me and tried to tug me away. I looked at my hand, and it was covered in blood. I started screaming for my mom." Her mother, Nadia, who was nearby, immediately realized the severity of the situation. "I looked over and saw her hand was almost completely gone," she said. "The water around her was filled with blood. In that moment, I knew it was a shark attack." READ MORE: World's biggest Great White Shark tracker LIVE: 14ft monster mapped in ocean after tourist warning Emergency crews responded to a report of a possible shark bite around noon near the 2200 block of Shore Lane on Boca Grande Island, Fire Chief C.W. Blosser said in a video statement. Leah's father, Jay Lendel, said first responders arrived within three minutes of the call. Nearby construction workers also jumped in to help the family. One of them, Alfonso Tello, told Gulf Coast News that he saw what appeared to be an 8-foot shark in the water when he tried to assist. "When we saw the little girl coming out of the water without a hand, it was like something out of a horror movie," Tello said. "Everyone was in shock." Leah was airlifted to a hospital and underwent a six-hour emergency surgery to repair her hand. The following day, on June 12, Nadia confirmed to Gulf Coast News that doctors had managed to reconstruct Leah's hand. "They took arteries from her leg to restore blood flow," Nadia explained. "They also inserted pins to stabilise the bones. Some of the tissue is still open, but thank God, she can move her fingers." Chief Blosser added that this was the first reported shark bite on Boca Grande Island in nearly two decades. Leah continues to recover in hospital with the help of her family, a therapy dog named Belle and a team of medical professionals who'll help her regain full use of her hand. Asked how she's been able to handle everything so well, Leah replied shyly: "I don't know." Dr. Alfred Hess, an orthopedic surgeon, said Leah's case had "a great outcome." "A shark injury is both a blessing and a curse in this case," he said. "The teeth are so sharp that the cut through the wrist is clean and not jagged, so it doesn't ruin all the tissue and we have clean tissue to work with." He said he's seen all kinds of animal-inflicted wounds in his 35 years of practice, including alligators, lions and sharks. Sharks' mouths, he said, "are like a bunch of razor blades. They go through tissue." Treating the wounds, he added, "is all about if you have something left to put back on."
Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘AI or real?': Woman becomes ‘friend' with great white shark, hugs ‘largest predatory fish' in viral video
When it comes to deadly predators of the sea, few creatures spark as much fear and fascination as the Great White Shark. Known for their sheer power and dominance in the ocean, these giants are usually something people prefer to admire from a safe distance. But every once in a while, someone comes along and decides to rewrite the rulebook on what's possible with wildlife. That's exactly what a now-viral video seems to capture. Recently, a jaw-dropping video surfaced online showing a woman not just swimming near a great white shark — but actually hugging it. The clip, which quickly gained traction on Instagram, claimed that this wasn't just a random stunt. According to the caption, the woman had apparently been carrying out an 'experiment' off the coast of Tahiti since 2018, trying to build a kind of personal relationship with the predator. The caption described her method as something called 'Predictive Reciprocity Conditioning (PRC)', with the ambitious goal of building 'an interpersonal bond' with the massive creature. The shark, who she reportedly named 'Dante,' was said to have been a juvenile at the start of the experiment. 'She spent every week diving with the same juvenile great white. She called him 'Dante.' No food. No spears. No protective cage. Just gentle energy and stillness. The goal was to create a non-threatening pattern that the shark would eventually begin to associate with safety,' the post claimed. According to the caption, by the 21st month, Dante had apparently stopped circling her warily and began swimming straight up to her. 'By month 30, he let her touch his snout — something never documented this clearly in the wild without reinforcement feeding,' it added. In an even bolder claim, the post said researchers from OceanX and BlueZone Institute later reviewed her footage and data. They supposedly observed similar patterns in three other great whites from the same region, lending some weight to the theory that sharks might actually be capable of forming trust-based relationships with humans. A post shared by Ziad Wael 'The Baby Hitman' (@ziad_zebra) The video was posted by Instagram user 'ziad_zebra' and has racked up over 382,000 likes in just two days. But while the clip wowed many viewers, plenty of people were skeptical about whether any of it was real. Some pointed fingers at AI, while others demanded hard proof. One user joked, 'AI is going to get a lot of us white people k*lled,' while another said bluntly, 'Everyone realises this is AI right??? This is not real at all….I'm really worried how many people think this is actually real. Fake AI video and fake story.' A third chimed in, 'For anyone curious, I looked this up online and there are no reliable sources or sites to say this is true. Until we see some citations from the author, let's not share it as fact.' Another added with a hint of worry, 'Now everyone gonna try to find a shark and pet it.'
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Atlantic's largest Great White Shark resurfaces near US coastline after months
Source: New York Post A record-breaking Great White Shark named Contender is making headlines as it journeys along the US East Coast, surfacing near a popular vacation region. Measuring an astonishing 14 feet in length and weighing approximately 1,653 pounds, Contender is the largest Great White Shark ever tagged in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the reports, the Great White Shark was first tracked in January 2025 by OCEARCH, a nonprofit research organisation dedicated to marine research. This massive predator was tagged off the Florida-Georgia coast, near Jacksonville. According to the New York Post reports, after nearly a month without signal, the shark recently resurfaced off Pamlico Sound in North Carolina, sending waves of excitement through the scientific community and ocean enthusiasts alike. Contender's movements mark a vital feeding stop during his seasonal migration northward, according to what the experts say. 14-foot Great White Shark Contender reappears after vanishing The Great White Shark nicknamed as Contender, is a 14-foot, 1,653-pound predator that was first tagged in January 2025 by OCEARCH, a leading nonprofit research organisation focused on large marine species. The shark was located roughly 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, near Jacksonville. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo After disappearing from trackers for almost a month, Contender resurfaced northward off Pamlico Sound in North Carolina. The absence was due to how its tracker functions; it only transmits location data when the dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water, making updates sporadic. Contender is estimated to be about 30 years old, placing it among the oldest documented Great White Sharks currently being monitored. According to Dr. Harley Newton, OCEARCH's chief scientist and veterinarian based in Ponte Vedra, Florida, this movement aligns with known migratory behaviour. North Carolina waters serve as key feeding stop for migrating great whites This deviation to North Carolina's coastal waters is believed to be a crucial feeding period. Experts suggest that this region offers an abundance of food that allows sharks like Contender to build energy reserves in preparation for a northward journey that could span over 1,000 miles. Dr. Newton added, 'We often observe tagged sharks lingering off the Outer Banks before continuing their migration. The availability of prey makes this area an important pre-departure refuelling site. ' How OCEARCH tags and tracks sharks The tagging process for Contender was extensive and carefully executed. Researchers captured the shark alongside their specialised research vessel, collected biological samples for further analysis, and fitted a SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) satellite tag to its dorsal fin. This SPOT tag allows real-time GPS tracking when the shark surfaces. Both scientists and the public can follow its movements through OCEARCH's Global Shark Tracker, an open-access digital platform. Role of sharks in marine conservation Data collected from Contender and other sharks play a vital role in marine conservation. By studying their migratory routes and behaviours, researchers can identify critical habitats that need protection. Great white sharks are apex predators and play an essential role in balancing marine ecosystems by regulating prey populations. However, they face growing threats from overfishing, habitat degradation, and the ongoing impacts of climate change. Also Read | US man finds snake giving 'saucy looks' from dashboard; Mazda's hilarious 'Try Beyoncé' reply goes viral
