A gruesome discovery on Bennetts Beach has raised questions of how, what appears to be a bronze whaler shark has washed up near apparent fishy innards at Hawks Nest over the weekend.
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Locals discovered the gory remains on Saturday morning, March 1, photos of which emerged on social media and sparked some speculation on the Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest community Facebook page.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) believed the shark, which was reportedly found dead, was a whaler which was often spotted close to shore.
The department spokesperson did not provide comment on the remains, but the shape and texture appear to match that of a shark liver.
The DPI said there was a recreational bag limit of one for whaler sharks, lower than the mako and school sharks which are limited at five.
As photos emerged of the discovery online, locals speculated as to how the remains had washed up on the beach.
The DPI indicated the responsibility for removing the shark was with the local landholder, in this case MidCoast Council.
Both council and the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA) in Australia were contacted regarding the incident.
A spokesperson for ORRCA said the organisation typically only deals with the rescue or disposal of marine mammals, rather than sharks, and were therefore unaware of the incident until contacted by Australian Community Media
One commenter on the community Facebook post noted that several sharks had been weighed in recent fishing competitions and believed the liver could be that of a Tiger Shark.
The details of this report are developing. It may be updated.
Simon McCarthy
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
