Meet Nukumi, the 17-foot great white shark ‘Queen of the Ocean’

October 6, 2020October 6, 2020 risahopegreat white sharks, marine life, science, sharks, UnderwaterLeave a comment

True, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you can’t ignore her battle scars and years worth of knowledge. Just look at the beautiful ol’ gal!

Nukumi, the 17-foot long great white shark found off Nova Scotia, is roughly 50 years old. — Credit: OCEARCH/Chris Ross

Researchers off the coast of Nova Scotia have found and tagged the biggest great white shark they’ve ever spotted in the Atlantic off Canada. She is over 17-feet long, 3,541 pounds, and roughly 50 years old. She has been dubbed “The Queen of the Ocean.” Rightfully so.

OCEARCH, a non-profit marine research organization, has tagged and collected samples from hundreds of sharks, dolphins, seals and other animals.

According to the OCEARCH website, Nukumi, pronounced noo-goo-mee, is named after the legendary wise old grandmother figure of the Native American Mi’kmaq people, a culture that has deep roots in Canadian Maritime provinces.

“When you handle an animal of this size it will hit you in a completely different way from an emotional standpoint.” –@ChrisOCEARCH Expedition Leader on 3,541 lbs #greatwhiteshark & Queen of the Ocean “Nukumi” A #greatwhite #OCEARCH studied & released. https://t.co/OTLei6H8Do pic.twitter.com/7IIBVOLnur
— OCEARCH (@OCEARCH) October 6, 2020

“When you look at all the healed-over scars and blotches and things that are on her skin, you’re really looking at the story of her life, and it makes you feel really insignificant,” OCEARCH expedition leader Chris Fischer said on Facebook on October 3rd.

It’s highly likely Nukumi is a grandmother herself, much like her namesake. According to Fischer, Nukumi probably had her first litter 30 years ago, and those pups are also making babies.

Nukumi’s samples and tracking data, along with data from the other sharks tagged, will be used to help OCEARCH learn more about migration patterns and previously unknown details about the secretive lives of sharks.

You go, girl. 🦈

First-Ever Shark Sonogram Reveals 20 Jaws Full of Sharp Teeth

August 11, 2016August 11, 2016 risahopebabies, science, sharks, tiger shark, UnderwaterLeave a comment

KS_LOGOs2_Underwater Can you imagine? Congratulations – you’re having SHARKS! You’re looking at the first ever shark ultrasound. Scientists were shocked to discover the shark, who they named “Emily,” was really pregnant.

shark sonogram

The 12.5 foot tiger shark was found with 20 well-formed thrashing pups – which incidentally comes with 20 tiny jaws of razor sharp teeth! Scientists estimate the shark pups to be about 40 to 45 centimeters (15 to 18 inches) long. That delivery sounds delightful.

James Sulikowski, of the University of New England, along with collaborators from the University of Miami conducted the sonogram in the Bahamas. Their ultrasound is groundbreaking because, not only is it uncharted territory, it could also change how researchers study pregnant sharks. Shark wombs used to be cut open in order to be studied, which ultimately killed the mother.

This creepily adorable video is part of Discovery’s Shark Week. Check it out below:

You love underwater stories too? Follow me into the sea! Check out more Krystian Science posts and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

New Species: Glowing ‘Ninja Lanternshark’ Lights up the Deep Sea

December 30, 2015 risahopenew species, ninja lanternshark, ocean, science, sharks, strange science, UnderwaterLeave a comment

KS_LOGOs2_Underwater I was taught to not bury the lead, so here goes. This is a ninja lanternshark. That’s right – NINJA + SHARK. This new species of lanternshark is black, stealthy, lives in the deep sea, and oh yeah… it glows.

Adult female Etmopterus benchleyi. Credit: Ocean Science Foundation

Researchers named the new species Etmopterus benchleyi, after Jaws author Peter Benchley. They are roughly 18 inches long and have patches of photophores on their snout, sides, and belly. These tiny light-omitting organs are what gives them the ability to glow.

But, ninja lanternsharks have less photophores than their cousins, so they don’t glow as bright. They are also distinguished by their dark black color – hence the name.

These masters of the deep were originally discovered in 2010, by the Spanish research vessel Miguel Oliver. They collected eight specimens off the Pacific coast of Central America at depths ranging between 2,700 and 4,700 feet.

With the help of the Pacific Shark Resource Center and the California Academy of Sciences, they determined that the ninja shark was indeed a new species. They published their findings in a journal this week.

Credit: Ocean Science Foundation

Collection locations along Pacific Ocean coastline of Central America. Credit: Ocean Science Foundation

Immature male Etmopterus benchleyi. Credit: Ocean Science Foundation

SCIENCE VIDEO ROUNDUP: Huge Great White Shark, Booze Reaches the ISS, and a Two-Headed Sea Slug

August 19, 2015October 19, 2015 risahopeconservation, great white sharks, ISS, KSTV, media, neon sea slug, science, sharks, space, strange science, Underwater, video, water, whiskeyLeave a comment

KSTV Weekly Science Wrap Up!

1) ‘Deep Blue’ – The Biggest Great White Shark Caught on Film

2) LA Saves Water with ‘Shade Balls’

3) Whiskey Reaches the ISS

&

4) The World’s First Two-Headed Sea Slug

Massive Shark Report: ‘Deep Blue’ is Biggest Great White Caught on Film and Huge Tiger Shark Caught in Australia

August 13, 2015 risahopeAustralia, conservation, Deep Blue, great white sharks, Mexico, nature, ocean, sharks, tiger shark, travel, Underwater3 Comments

KS_LOGOs2_Underwater I can’t decide if this footage of what is believed to be the biggest great white shark ever caught on film is terrifying or eerily soothing. Her name is ‘Deep Blue’ and not only is she over 20-FEET long – she may also be pregnant.

The footage was captured by shark researcher Mauricio Hoyos Padilla off Mexico’s Guadalupe Island in 2013, but wasn’t released until now.

When Padilla first spotted ‘Deep Blue’ he wasn’t afraid, he was excited. “When I saw Deep Blue for the first time, there was just one thought on my mind: HOPE. A shark of that size is at least 50 years old and that tells me protection and conservation efforts are working. Deep Blue has been spared from long lines and the inherent dangers of living in the wild,” he wrote.

Padilla wants to raise awareness and help protect these magnificent creatures. New born baby great whites and pregnant females run the risk of getting caught in lines and nets in shallow waters and the illegal trade of shark teeth, jaws, and fins is sadly very lucrative.

This isn’t the first time the world has seen Deep Blue. Discovery featured the large great white in a Shark Week documentary last year.

The news of Deep Blue comes just days after the corpse of an 18-FOOT tiger shark was pulled onto a fishing boat off the coast of Australia. According to reports, Geoff Brooks posted two images of the huge predator to Facebook on Tuesday, claiming that the tiger shark was caught near Lennox Head, on the northern New South Wales coast. But, there is much debate as to exactly when and how the shark was killed.

Credit: Facebook

KRYSTIAN SCIENCE TV Roundup: Giant Robot Duel, New ‘Gnarly’ Dinosaur, and a Shark Photobomb

July 20, 2015 risahopedinosaurs, girl power, great white sharks, KSTV, media, MegaBots, nasa, news, photobomb, robots, science, sharks, space, startup, tv, USA, video, Wendiceratops pinhornensis1 Comment

The Only Thing Better Than One Great White on Camera is TWO: Watch Massive Shark Photo-Bomb

July 10, 2015 risahopegreat white sharks, nature, ocean, photography, science, sea, sharks, Underwater, video1 Comment

KS_LOGOs2_Underwater Great white sharks are only cool when they are gnawing on someone else’s boat. This week, tourists on a South African shark-diving tour got the shock of their lives when they watched one great white take the bait next to their boat – just as a second great white leapt out of the water behind it! I knew sharks couldn’t take selfies, but apparently photo-bombing isn’t out of the question.

RemoSabatini posted the video below to YouTube on July 6, 2015.

In honor of this weeks gnarly shark footage I’d like to post a few amazing pics from Chris and Monique Fallows – who spend 200 days a year at sea.

Photographing great white sharks for 20 years gives Chris and Monique Fallows front row seats on the amazing behavior and secrets of formidable predators few people see. In this post they share ten of their favorite images of great whites.