巨鯊幾將大白鯊咬成兩半 澳洲海灘人心惶惶

2009-10-28 新聞速報 【中央社】

　澳大利亞海灘可要小心鯊魚出沒了，日前一隻身長恐達20英尺（約6公尺）的超級大鯊魚，差點把一隻大白鯊咬成兩半。

　英國「天空電視新聞網」（Sky News）報導，一張驚悚照片顯示，澳洲北部昆士蘭（Queensland）海岸外一隻身長10英尺（約3公尺）的大白鯊，因為身體兩邊各被咬去一大塊肉，痛苦不堪的劇烈扭動。

　專家說，依照傷口的裂痕判斷，發動攻擊的超級大鯊魚可能有20英尺長。

　這隻大白鯊在布利斯班（Brisbane）東邊的北史翠伯克島（North Stradbroke Island）附近遭到猛烈攻擊前，曾被帶有誘餌鉤子的保護網困住。

　不過一名船夫在死人海灘（Deadman's Beach）附近將這隻受傷鯊魚拖到一艘船上時，牠還活著。

　昆士蘭漁業管理局的克勞瑟（Jeff Krause）告訴澳洲「每日電訊報」（Daily Telegraph）：「這真的讓我大開眼界。我的意思是這隻被捕獲的鯊魚，本身就是一隻相當大的鯊魚。」

　當局警告遊客，不要前往北史翠伯克島附近的海域游泳。

　這起攻擊事件也讓附近觀光勝地「衝浪者天堂」（Surfers Paradise）的許多旅客憂心。衝浪者天堂位於布利斯班南邊。

　19歲的衝浪愛好者史密斯（Ashton Smith）在黃金海岸（Gold Coast）告訴「信使報」（Courier Mail）：「我聽說那隻超級大鯊魚還在附近潛伏，這裡的每一位衝浪者都提高警覺。」

　保護網與防鯊網的設置是為了保護泳客，使他們不致遭受鯊魚攻擊。但是這些設施也遭受批評，因為保護網不時會困住遷徙的鯨魚。

　漁業管理局局長穆希林（Tim Mulherin）向信使報表示，捕獲這隻被咬傷的鯊魚，以及得知還有一隻巨鯊在該海域潛伏，皆說明設置保護網有其必要。

　他說，當局目前尚無獵捕這隻巨鯊的計畫，但是承包商已經重新設置保護網。（譯者：中央社張曉雯）981028

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10-foot Great White Shark bitten nearly in half by 20-foot 'monster shark' near Australian beach

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

Swimmers were warned that a "monster shark" was prowling off a popular Australian beach, one that nearly bit a 10-foot great white shark in half last week, London's Daily Mail reported.

Based on the bite marks, experts say the larger shark must be twice its victim's size.

The smaller - relatively speaking - great white was hooked on a baited drum line when it was attacked, and was still alive when it was hauled onto a boat off north Stradbroke Island in Queensland.

The fatally wounded shark was found just a few miles away from the island's popular beaches, a haven for surfers and bathers.

"That cannibal thing is what great whites do; they'll eat anything, including their own kind," Hugh Edwards, a local shark expert, told Australia's 7 News. "It would be sensible not to swim in that area for a little while."

Though shark attacks worldwide dipped from 71 to 59 between 2007 and 2008, according to the International Shark Attack File, and few of them were attributed to great whites, the large shark had been vilified even before Steven Spielberg's 1975 thriller.

Speculation is that this "Jaws"-sized shark has been lured to the area by the rotting carcuses of three whales that were trapped in anti-shark netting surrounding the Queensland coast.

But Queensland Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin told Australia's Courier Mail that the grisly find shows why those nets were still essential.

Five people were fatally attacked in the late '50s, the Courier Mail reported, but only one since the nets were put in place in 1962.

"Whatever attacked and took chunks out of this big shark must be massive," surfer Ashton Smith, 19, told the Daily Mail. "I've heard about the big one that's lurking out there somewhere.

"We're all being very, very cautious."