A bull shark bit a young boy in Thailand, while in Australia, another bull shark stole a diver’s fin.
Harafat Limapicharsakul, 12, was sitting the Chebilang pier in the southern province of Satun May 28. He was playing with two of his friends and swinging his leg in the canal water when a bull shark grabbed his left foot.
Limapicharsakul was taken to the hospital where he received 50 stitches and was released the same day.
Local media initially reported Chebilang Mayor Mahmadneesum Bilungload offered a cash reward of 1,000 baht ($31.58) for the live capture of the shark and evidence that the shark was the one that bit the boy.
“Don’t offer a bounty for a shark or support the hunt for a reward,” advised Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, in speaking to the Bangkok Post.
However, the mayor’s statement may have been more speculation than doubt if a shark was involved in the case.
According to the Bangkok Post, researchers from the Marine and Coastal Resources Department confirmed the bite was from a bull shark. No swimming signs have been posted on the pier and fishing will continue to be allowed.
It was the second shark bite reported in the country this year.
On Jan. 12 Hans-Peter Malten, 75, and his wife were visiting Nang Thong Beach which is about 180 miles north of Chebilang. Around 7:15 a.m. he swam about 20 to 22 feet away from the beach when a shark grabbed his right calf.
He called to his wife, who helped him out of the water and alerted hotel staff. He was taken to the Andaman Hub Medical Center in Khao Lak, before being transported to the Bangkok Hospital Phuket. The shark had severed a tendon and left an 8-inch-long wound on his right calf.
Meanwhile in Australia, another bull shark took a swipe at a free diver.
Lachlan Pye, 18, was spearing with his friend off the coast of North Queensland when he was surprised by a bull shark.
The student swam to the bottom of the sea and shot a fish that appeared to already be dead, and began to surface. As he was ascending, a bull shark charged in and started biting Pye’s fin.
Pye was able to kick off his fin and pull in his fish as he hit the surface. He quickly alerted his friend who was waiting on the boat and was pulled to safety.
The teen was shaken by the event but has no qualms about going out again.
One interesting observation of the event is that the fish appeared to already be dead. Thus, there was no struggle on the line. It may be possible the shark felt the vibration of the speargun and saw Pye’s moving fin, which it may have considered prey.
It is not uncommon for sharks to stalk areas where spearfishing activities are taking place.
One such incident occurred on the Great Barrier Reef.
Danny Henricks was swimming toward the bottom when a bull shark charged at full speed; he was able to record the event. The shark’s mouth was wide open as it approached and Henricks was able to hold his gun in the shark’s path. The shark hit with such force, it impelled itself on the gun.
Both the shark and the gun fell to the bottom of the ocean and he was able to swim away unharmed.
All bite locations have been marked on the 2020 Shark Attack Map.
