Shark’s Love for Man Hoax

Outline

Slideshow presentation claims that a friendly and thankful Great White Shark constantly follows a fisherman who once saved its life and the two have formed a “mutual affection”. 

Brief Analysis

The claims in the message are untrue. The story was published several years ago in a French magazine as an April Fools joke.

Example

Detailed Analysis

According to a slideshow presentation currently circulating via email and online, Arnold Pointer, an Australian fisherman, won the affection of a huge Great White Shark that he once saved from certain death. The slideshow claims that ever since the fisherman rescued the shark from his fishing nets, it has followed him around whenever possible and the two have formed a mutual affection. This absurd and fanciful tale would have us believe that the grateful fish, dubbed “Cindy”,

has formed a strong attachment to the man and even enjoys having her belly and neck rubbed. 

However, the story is entirely untrue. I contacted “Le magazine des voyages de pêche”, the French publication mentioned in the message, to enquire about the origin of the story. According to a spokesperson from the magazine, the “Shark Love Story” was published in the magazine in 2006 as an April Fools joke.

Apparently, the joke story escaped the confines of the magazine and began circulating, first in French and later in the English version included here.

In fact, all the photographs used in the presentation were taken by South African marine biologists and shark experts, Michael C. Scholl and Thomas P. Peschak and have nothing whatsoever to do with an affectionate shark and a kind Australian fisherman.

The first photograph of a man in a kayak being followed by a shark was featured in the September 2005 issue of Africa Geographic. The kayaker photograph has become quite famous and began circulating in an entirely different context long before this slideshow made its appearance.

Other photographs in the slideshow are included on the White Shark Trust website and in other publications. Not all the featured photographs depict the same shark. And, although the man does reach out and touch a shark in some of the photographs, this is simply a situational action and should not be misconstrued as some manner of mutual affection.