Hammerhead shark pups were found dead along shore off Ke’ehi Lagoon, on Tuesday. The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement says it was notified by a private citizen that there were approximately 50 to 100 dead baby sharks.
“I was walking over here.. and then I see fish all over the place and then I walk to this barricade and I see more fish.. or hammerhead,” Samuel Etrata said. “At least a hundred, but I believe that when the tide came in and went back out some went in the water.”
Etrata works at the nearby restaurant at La Mariana Sailing Club and walks along the shoreline every day before work. He says he was shocked to come across the pile dead shark pups, adding that he’s never seen anything like it before.
“It’s sad to lose all those fish,” he said.
Etrata says called the Department of Land and Natural Resources right away to report what he had seen.
According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Ke’ehi Lagoon is a known location for hammerhead pupping and it is pupping season, right now. But the number of dead pups found ashore, on Tuesday, is out of the ordinary. DLNR says the hammerhead pups may have been netted by someone and dumped on.
Waikiki Aquarium Director, Andrew Rossiter says when baby sharks get caught in gill nets, they can suffocate.
“The reason is that type of shark has to keep swimming to breathe and once it hits the net.. in two or three minutes it will be dead,” Rossiter said. “The thing to do would be to try and release it (from the net) as soon as possible.”
DLNR has opened an investigation. Anyone with any information is asked to call 643-DLNR.
According to DLNR, the land where the dead hammerheads were found on is being leased to La Mariana, therefore it will be La Mariana’s responsibility to remove the sharks.
