'Even at that size it was only half grown': Fisherman who caught a gigantic 100kg shark head claims he's seen predators TWICE as big

  • Fisherman who pulled shark's head from ocean says he's seen them twice as big
  • Jason Moyce, from Bermagui, made bizarre catch off the New South Wales coast
  • He was fishing for small sharks on Thursday but found the head of a large Mako 

A fisherman who pulled an enormous severed shark head out of the ocean off Australia's coast claims he has seen predators twice as big.

Commercial fisherman Jason 'Trapman' Moyce, from Bermagui on the south coast of New South Wales, made the discovery on Thursday.

A picture of his 18-year-old employee Jasper Lay holding the chunk of Mako shark quickly went viral on social media, racking up more than 30,000 comments and 19,000 shares.

The severed shark's head (pictured) weighed 100kg and Mr  Moyce shared the image to social media which sparked a fierce debate about what could have eaten the mako

A picture of Jasper Lay holding the chunk of Mako shark quickly went viral on social media, racking up more than 30,000 comments and 19,000 shares

Mr Lay said Thursday's finding as was out of the ordinary. 

'When we pulled the head up I was gobsmacked to think that something that big is swimming around,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'A first for me, never seeing anything like it before it was a real eye opener and very scary.'

'And the way it has gone over the media is pretty unreal, still trying to get my head around it.' 

The severed head itself weighed 100kg and the whole shark would have tipped the scales at a hefty 300kg.  

Mr Moyce said sighting sharks in open water at this time of the year is not particularly uncommon. 

'I don't shark fish every week, but I would see it every week if I did,' he told the Illawarra Mercury.

'Some people don't see this kind of thing or expect it is possible.

'Jasper didn't realise sharks were that big, but even at that size it's only half grown.'

When the image was shared to the Trapman Bermagui Facebook page on Thursday, Mr Moyce described the morning's catch as 'crazy'.   

'So this was all we got back of this monster mako,' he wrote. 

The severed head weighed 100 kilograms and at full strength the shark was expected to have tipped the scales at a hefty 300 kilograms (stock image of mako shark)

The severed head weighed 100 kilograms and at full strength the shark was expected to have tipped the scales at a hefty 300 kilograms (stock image of mako shark)

MAKO SHARKS

There are two species of mako sharks: longfin makos and shortfin makos.  

Makos are a 'fast speed-swimming shark', dangerous to humans because their speed to attack.

The mako can reach up to 32 kilometres per hour, making it the fastest shark on earth.  

The shark inhabits all temperate waters around the world. There are larger concentrations in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans and in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

A longfin shark usually stretches about 4.5 metres and weighs about 170 kilograms.

Shortfin makos are about half the size and weight.  

Source:  Sharks-World

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'Unfortunately we didn't see what ate it but must of been impressive!! The head was about 100kg (220lbs).'

Soon afterwards, Facebook users began speculating about what kind of monster could have inflicted such damage on a Mako.

Makos are also fearsome predators and rarely become prey - they are the fastest species of shark and can reach speeds of up to 46mph. 

Some people suggested that this could have been the work of an Orca, or killer whale. The apex predators are one of the fastest marine animals and typically weigh between four and six tonnes. 

It might have been a tiger shark, according to Shamus Johnston, who commented that he had seen one kill a 12 ft shark with one bite. 

'Tiger sharks get huge, with sightings and records of them getting 20+ feet and being extremely aggressive towards other sharks!,' he wrote.   

But Greg Doble wrote that the distinctive pattern around the Mako's wound made it appear to have come from a 20ft great white - and probably more than one. 

'You can see the smaller or conveyor teeth outside major bite marks,' he wrote.

Soon afterwards, Jason's Facebook following began speculating about what kind of monster could have inflicted such damage on a mako, which can grow up to 12ft in length and weigh up to 570kg ( great white shark pictured)

Greg Doble wrote on Facebook that the distinctive bite marks visible on the severed head of the Mako shark look as though the kill was the work of a great white shark (pictured) 

'Not Orcas - they tend to eat just the liver of large sharks and let the rest drop to the ocean floor.'

Lisa Newick agreed, adding: 'Despite their reputation as lone hunters, great whites will cooperate with one another, hunting in groups and sharing the spoils. 

'They're social creatures and travel in groups at times as well, that's why you see them milling all over whale carcasses.

'After seeing the pic I'll just uh stick to the swimming pool,' she added.      

Mr Moyce said that after he cut about a slab of meat from the mako head he discovered the bill of a marlin fish. 

The long spike had been embedded in the head for years, but shark's 'amazing healing powers' had caused the wound to close around it.   

 

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