Researchers released a mako shark into the ocean, but it made a U-turn to take bites out of their boat
- Researchers released a mako shark into North Carolina's Outer Banks.
- It made a U-turn and started gnawing at their boat.
- Mako sharks aren't usually aggressive towards humans, so the team took it as "a defensive warning."
A mako shark captured and then released by researchers on North Carolina's Outer Banks made an angry U-turn and bit their boat multiple times.
James Sulikowski of the Sulikowski Shark and Fish Conservation Lab at Arizona State University said the shark didn't do much damage, though, the News And Observer reported. He said the event was "pretty awesome."
"We were excited to see it being released in great condition, then to see it turn around in typical mako fashion and bite the boat was spectacular," he said. "It was making a statement: 'You caught me, now I'm going to catch you, so we're even.'"
Mako sharks aren't generally aggressive towards humans, but it was as "a defensive warning to make sure we knew it had teeth and to leave it alone," Sulikowski said.
The shark was juvenile and four feet long, but the species can reach up to 12 feet. According to NOAA Fisheries reports, there is a growing concern that mako is being killed in large numbers by getting caught in fishing lines.
The team caught 19 makos with long lines on the expedition and were fitted with tags that will record data on their movements over a 28-day period, then "pop off."
Sulikowski said. It appears all 19 are still alive and were able to handle the stress of being caught in the commercial longlines for extended periods, he said, according to the News And Observer.
Sulikowski said his team's research is helping determine whether mako sharks should be listed as a threatened or endangered species in US waters.
"Our work is helping understand and mitigate interactions with pelagic longline fishing gear," he said.
Watch the full video below.