The post went viral almost immediately, with social media users dissecting the photograph and offering their own opinions. Some questioned the size and depth, noting that the water appeared shallow and the dog in the photo seemed unaffected by the presence of a large predator. One user commented, “It couldn’t be a very big shark, given the size of the dog and the depth of the water,” while another added, “Looks a bit shallow for a shark with a fin that size. Wouldn’t the other people behind them have noticed something in the water?” A third contributor noted, “It’s unlikely that a shark cruising so close to shore would go completely unnoticed by those in the photo.”
Authorities from the Victoria Fisheries Authority (VFA) and Life Saving Victoria were unable to confirm the exact identity of the creature in the photograph. However, experts in marine life offered more plausible explanations. Professor Charlie Huveneers, Research Leader of the Southern Shark Ecology Group, stated that the shape most likely did not belong to a shark. According to him, the photo’s quality made it difficult to be certain, but the form appeared more consistent with the wing of a Southern Eagle Ray rather than a shark’s dorsal fin. Southern Eagle Rays, considered near-threatened, are native to southern Australian waters and are occasionally spotted in shallow coastal areas near beaches, as well as around New Zealand.Continue reading…
