Aussie Dad Bravely Grapples with Shark to Save His Sons

It isn’t everyday you can expect to see a huge shark at the end of a fishing line, but when Tristan Turner found what his sons had caught in American River, off the coast of South Australia, he was horrified. It was a massive bronze whaler shark. Tristan’s parental instincts kicked in. Tristan amazed the gathering crowd by grappling with the massive shark in a daring act of courage. The drama unfolded in front of stunned spectators who watched in disbelief as Turner fearlessly approached the predator.

A surprising encounter

Turner’s impromptu clash with the shark took place as he was fishing with his two sons off the American River Jetty on Kangaroo Island during the boys’ Easter break.

He looked with pride as one of his sons had caught a whopper

When one of the boys felt he had caught a whopper, Turner was amused, and turned to look in pride. His amusement turned to horror when he caught sight of what the boy had caught, it was a huge bronze whaler shark

He had to act quickly

Turner knew he had to act quickly, he had to free the shark and find a way of releasing it into the water. Leaving it would have been dangerous for the shark as well as people swimming in the water. His sons too could be in danger due to the size of the creature.

People could be in danger

To rescue the shark from the fishing line, Turner boldly took hold of  its tail and manoeuvred it to a nearby boat ramp. There, he attempted to remove the fishing hook from its mouth.

The size of the shark was astonishing

The size of the bronze whaler was no less than 3 meters long, that’s almost 10 feet. Turner knew somehow, he had to remove the hook from his mouth, but how? Spectators were amazed to see Turner then grappling with the shark which kept thrashing around.

He wrestled with the shark trying to break free

The bronze whaler twisted and turned. One false move on Turner’s part and his limbs would have been chomped off. A shark like this is not to be messed with. Its serrated teeth could cause serious harm.  What was astounding was Turner’s strength as he held onto the shark’s tail.

He waded into the water carrying the shark

As if the wrestlemania wasn’t dramatic enough, video footage then captured a shirtless Turner wading into the deep area of the jetty carrying the shark.

Shock and awe

Witnesses described their shock at witnessing such a daring act firsthand. Many onlookers were initially terrified but soon realized Turner’s confidence and skill in handling the situation.

Tristan’s motivation

According to reports, Turner’s primary concern was the safety of nearby swimmers, including his own son, who was in the water at the time. His quick thinking and bravery were driven by a desire to protect others.

Expert opinion

Marine biologists and experts weighed in on the encounter, noting the risks involved in approaching a wild shark. They praised Turner’s courage but emphasized that such interactions can be dangerous and should be avoided. After all whaler sharks are predators too.

Bronze whaler sharks are also known as copper sharks

The Bronze whaler shark known also as the copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus), or narrow tooth shark is a species that loves to inhabit warm brackish water, hence the affinity to adapt down under. Besides Australia, and New Zealand, copper sharks are also found in the northeastern and southwestern Atlantic, and off southern Africa. These guys love to travel, especially when the seasons change, food is scarce, or it’s time for baby sharks. Some have been known to migrate up to 1320 km (820 mi).

How big do bronze whaler sharks get?

Bronze whaler sharks can grow up to 3.3 m (11 ft) long and weigh around 305 kg (672 lb). Males and females live separate lives for most of the year and only get together for mating. They grow super slow with males hitting maturity between 13 and 19 years, while females mature between 19-20 years.

Weird mating rituals

A mating ritual of the bronze whaler shark is all about the male exerting his dominance where he will bite the female first as a prelude to the mating ritual. That’s one prehistoric caveman thingy right there, but in his defense, the male will accompany the female migrating to offshore waters. Baby sharks, or pups, are born every other year in litters of 7-24, usually around 15-16 creating literal coastal nurseries especially in regions where there is plenty of food and water. Male bronze whaler sharks live up to 30 years, while females live around 25 years.

What do bronze whaler sharks eat?

Bronze whaler sharks are foodies with a taste for bony fish, cuttlefish, skates, stingrays, squid, sardines, and even other sharks like dogfish. They go wild during South Africa’s annual sardine run, where sardines make up 69-95% of their diet. These  sharks have been seen hunting in groups, herding schools of prey into tight balls and taking turns to attack with their mouths wide open. For larger prey like tuna, they form a “wing” formation to corral their target and each shark zeroes in on its specific prey.

Are they aggressive?

Not really! Bronze whaler sharks aren’t usually aggressive towards humans although there have been reports of fishermen being bitten by them. The shark caught by Turner was a big one indeed, but in all probability might have been scared out of its wits at a crazy human making it his wrestling opponent. In the melee, it may have felt threatened, a reason for any shark to bite to kill. Thankfully Turner escaped from what could have been described as a near fatal experience.

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