Splash!
Whitetip Sharks Finned Alive
Two oceanic whitetip sharks with fins freshly cut off were photographed swimming off Kona. The mutilated sharks were observed alive off the coast of West Hawai‘i and were photographed and reported by dive tour operators. Another juvenile whitetip reef shark missing its dorsal fin and gutted was found at Ka‘alu‘alu Bay.
Stacia Marcoux with the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) commented in a DLNR press release: “Shark finning is not a new phenomenon, but the recent number of incidents is concerning. This is especially true for the threatened oceanic whitetip.”
Stacia received photos provided by Big Island Divers and Aquatic Life Divers of the finless oceanic whitetips. She said, “It’s heartbreaking to see these terrible wounds on these individuals. Sharks deserve our respect. No one wants to see an injured shark swimming by.”
Oceanic whitetip sharks are listed as threatened by the Endangered Species Act. Under state law, it is “unlawful to possess, sell,
