POSSIBLY A FINNED SHARK IN COZUMEL? This is a 1st for me.

[deepsea21]

Was down in December and snapped this photo of a Nurse Shark that appears to have had its tail finned some time ago. Shark was swimming fine and but the top of it's tail was GONE... like it was sliced off and healed. I've never seen a Nurse Shark lacking its tail fin. Looks like someone somewhere may have grabbed its tail and sliced off the top of the fin. You tell me... Just wondering as this was STRANGE to see.

 

[diver 85]

It does look well 'healed'--might have met a boat prop(s) sometime in the past, maybe?? as a baby??....that---or a net earlier in life??...

 

[deepsea21]

Here's a cropped photo that shows in more detail...

 

[deepsea21]

Diver 85... I guess I immediately thought the worst when I saw this as I've never seen something like this before. I can report the shark was swimming normally just as any other save its missing upper tail fin. Maybe something took a bite out of him when he was little. Who knows. Just strange as the close up seems to show a pretty clean heal. Doesn't look like something with teeth tore that fin away or a struggle in a net did it but I've no idea.

 

[diverken374]

Diver 85... I guess I immediately thought the worst when I saw this as I've never seen something like this before. I can report the shark was swimming normally just as any other save its missing upper tail fin. Maybe something took a bite out of him when he was little. Who knows. Just strange as the close up seems to show a pretty clean heal. Doesn't look like something with teeth tore that fin away or a struggle in a net did it but I've no idea.

I do not think you are being an alarmist. Several explanations for what you saw including shark finning. In November,2014 we found a the pectoral fin from a nurse shark at Maracaibo. It was cleanly severed and done quite recently. Not a boat prop! It was reported to the marine park authority. I am afraid that this does go on mostly outside the marine park but not exclusively.

 

[diver 85]

Diver 85... Doesn't look like something with teeth tore that fin away or a struggle in a net did it but I've no idea.

Me neither --just offering some other ??explanation(s).....Might have been born that away??....Who knows, @ least it was 'healthy enuff' to make it to a fairly large shark--& thinking it'll continue on that course per your description(hopefully)...

 

[MMM]

I think shark finning is HIGHLY unlikely. Shark is caught and eaten here. No one would just take a fin when they could harvest the entire animal.