Shark Route teams arrive at St. Francis for Chokka and follow up on a report of a dead ragged tooth shark on the rocks at St. Francis Bay!

The Shark Route team arrived at St. Francis and were having tea with top marine predator scientist Dr. Malcolm Smale when a call came through that a raggie had washed up dead on the rocks in the Bay. Malcolm took his dissecting kit and went to investigate. We were all saddened to see a dead female raggie lying on the rocks. According to the autopsy she had at least given birth earlier, been tagged in KZN (we will know more about her historic movements soon) and died at the hand of some rock and surf angler. The hooks, trace and bait used to catch her were taken from her stomach by Malcolm.

The Shark Park teams had two tiger sharks yesterday, 25 blacktips and 12 duskies. There was approximately 15m visibility and the water temperature was 22 celsius. The warmer water of the last few days is cooling slightly but it does seem as if another pulse is on its way and the general warm water body has shifted down the coast significantly from the north. We eagerly await our first whalesharks.