Fishermen release endangered large shark spotted in waters off southern Singapore – Mothership.SG

A large shark has been spotted by fishermen in waters off the southern coast of Singapore.

A video of the shark, shot before dawn, was posted on TikTok.

@mothershipsg shark has du du du du #singapore ♬ Baby Shark – Pinkfong

According to the video’s caption, the shark, estimated to be over 3 metres long, was released.

Shark species

A lively debate in the comments section was over guessing the species of shark seen.

The shark was thought to be either a bull shark or a nurse shark.

Commentators tried to identify it based on its fin, snout and tail.

In response to MothershipIn response to questions from Zeehan Jaafar, a senior lecturer and deputy head of the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore, he said the shark was a tawny nurse shark, which is listed as “critically endangered” locally.

“This species is present in Singapore and is only occasionally encountered in coral reefs by divers,” Zeehan said.

“They are not considered dangerous, but caution should still be exercised when encountering them.”

Observers are advised not to approach or attempt to touch this species.

Answers

Many commentators expressed awe at the existence of a shark of this size in Singapore waters.

Others who said they were frightened by the presence of such sea creatures were reminded that some species of sharks – such as nurse sharks – are very shy and avoid people.

Catch and release

Guidelines published by Marine Stewards, a sustainable fishing group, advise fishermen on which marine species to release.

The Marine Stewards website also includes a list of maturity lengths of fish found in Singapore waters, to help fishermen identify juveniles.

According to the National Parks Board (NParks), catch and release should apply to endangered species, juvenile fish and breeding animals.

Additionally, fish caught but not consumed should also be released.

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Best photos via @nelnas78 TikTok