Big Blue, the largest great white shark ever caught on film, was spotted this week feeding on a sperm whale carcass off the coast of Oahu.
Big Blue, a 22 foot, 2 1/2 ton female believed to be over 50 years old, was last seen five years near Guadalupe Island off Mexico. The massive shark was identified by multiple shark experts through dorsal fin comparison analysis. The shark had become a bit of an aquatic celebrity after starring in her own Shark Week documentary in 2014.
The photos and videos, which were taken by photographer Mark Mohler and posted by free diver and social media star Ocean Ramsey, quickly spread across the internet with over 800,000 views within 48 hours. “I waited quietly, patiently, observing as she swam up to the dead sperm whale carcass and then slowly to me passing close enough I gently put my hand out to maintain a small space so her girth could pass,” Ramsey wrote.
The group of divers spent most of the day with several large sharks, including Deep Blue.
Ramsey, a self-described conservationist and dive tour operator in Hawaii, often poses for photos with large sharks while free diving for her Instagram account, which has over 660,000 followers.
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Magical Moment or Wildlife Harassment?
While many were in awe of the photos and videos of the massive shark, which may also be pregnant, many shark experts were quick to point out that the divers’ behavior may be doing unintended harm and that it is unwise to encourage less knowledgable divers to get in the water with an apex predator as big as Deep Blue.
“The number 1 rule of legitimate shark diving operators is DON’T TOUCH THE SHARKS! This is not shark advocacy…it is selfish, self-promotion,” Marine Conservation Science Institute director Michael Domeier replied on Instagram.
Dr. David Shiffman, an outspoken critic on many shark-related topics, said on Twitter: “This photo that you’re all sharing is wildlife harassment from a serial wildlife harasser. There is absolutely no reason for this person to grab and attempt to ride a free-swimming animal. It doesn’t show that sharks aren’t dangerous, it shows that some humans make bad choices.”
“I know some people criticize touch but what some don’t realize is that sometimes sharks seek touch,” Ramsey responded in her post. “I wish more people would have a connection with sharks and the natural world, because then they would understand that it’s not petting sharks or pushing them off to maintain a respectable space that is hurting sharks.”