1.3 TON TIGER SHARK CAUGHT AT TEAHUPOO
Starfishermen Catch A Tiger Shark At Tahiti's Most Fearful Wave
You know that story about the boy who picks up drying starfish on the sand and throws them back into the ocean to save their lives?
Well, On February 20, 2009, Didier and Gérard Parker boated out to the reef by Teahupoo to do exactly the opposite. They were casting for starfish, insistent that starfish are notorious devourers of polyps and consequently reef-murderers. While the act of catching starfish at Teahupoo seems odd in itself, and framing starfish as killers seems equally strange, both notions pale in comparison to their seizure of a 1.29-ton tiger shark in the netting beside that self-same Teahupoo reef.
Killers beget killers, huh? While a single shark sighting or seizure certainly doesn’t imply infestation, that toothy image sure makes for an additional psychological hurdle at a spot that roughly translates to “Broken Bones.” So as the 2009 ASP World Tour kicks off at Snapper Rock this week, surfers can look forward to yet another complication at one of the heaviest waves on Earth. Or they can avoid fishing for starfish…
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READER COMMENTS
Thu Feb26, 2009, 12:39 PM
Does anyone know Teahupoo's history of shark attacks on humans/surfers? Either way, it seems that when surfing Teahupoo, your priorities would be: 1) Make the wave, 2) Pick a decent landing spot when you DO wipeout, 3) Pray that your reef cuts don't get infected, 4) Eat enough food to fuel your 12 hour surf sessions, and 5) Thank God, your sponsor(s), friends, family, and the locals for the insanely awesome privilege of being there in the first place. Peace.
Sun Mar 1, 2009, 9:18 PM
Yes. The History of Shark attacks at Chopes goes back many years. It was in 1861 when the famous Tahitian Charger Mooga Balooga had his left pinky bitten off by a 1.3 Ton Shark. But that was not the end of the attack. The large shark then returned and bit off his right ball. At that point Mooga was upset and swam down and started figting with the shark and in turn bit off the sharks fins. Once returning to the beach a Japanese man was there and decided to make Shark fin soup. After enjoying the soup together Mooga and the Japanese Man were horny and came to the conclusion that shark fins were a aphrodishac and started marketing it as such around the world. Together they grew to become some of the richest men in the world and now live in Texas.
Mon Mar 9, 2009, 12:07 AM
That is one big shark but we need a bigger pic