Shark Week 2020 | 'Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks': Here are 3 rediscovered species of the predators
Sharks are some of the most fascinating creatures, they are also some of the most hunted ocean predators and their populations are at risk of extinction. Discovery's Shark Week programming began as a form of animal activism to raise awareness about the different species and how they have been persecuted — largely due to Steven Spielberg's 1975 film 'Jaws' instilling much of the fear.
During Shark Week 2020, Forrest Galante — adventurer and host of Discovery Channel's 'Extinct or Alive' — looks for three shark species thought extinct in 'Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks'. To do so, he travels to the southeast coast of South Africa and employs adapted technology to dive dangerous waters. Galante mentions that he is specifically looking for three types of sharks. Let's take a look at these species and what their statuses are.
Whitetip Weasel Shark
The whitetip weasel shark was last seen in 1984. It is a species of modern sharks in the family weasel sharks and individuals can grow up to 38 inches. To look for the whitetip weasel shark, Galante and his team used an adapted form of the BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video). The whitetip weasel shark has white tips on its fins and a black tip on its dorsal fin. This was the first time a live whitetip weasel shark was filmed and though it was a hazy clip, Dave Ebert — an expert on lost sharks — confirmed that it was what Galante's team was looking for.
Ornate Sleeper Ray
The ornate sleeper rays were discovered only in 1984 and were last seen in 2007. To find the ornate sleeper rays, Galante's team goes diving in a saltwater lake. The ornate sleeper ray was named after Electrolux, a well-known brand of vacuum, due to its electrogenic properties and forceful sucking action when it feeds. South African divemaster Adrian Peartan was able to capture footage of the ornate sleeper ray for the program.
Flapnose Houndshark
Perhaps one of the biggest accomplishments of Galante's team was the re-discovery of the flapnose houndshark, a species of shark that has been lost to science for nearly 120 years, and therefore, thought to be extinct, but scientists were unsure. The flapnose houndshark was first discovered in 1902 but had not been seen since.
Galante's team narrowed down areas where fishermen said they had previously caught the shark to find the flapnose houndshark. After two nights of fishing, Galante's team managed to catch a flapnose houndshark measuring less than four feet in length. The shark was out of water for a few seconds before Galante placed it in a bucket filled with water. The team took measurements of the shark and fitted it with a monitoring device to track its movements before releasing the animal back into the ocean.
Data from the tracking device — the first-ever from this species — suggests that the animal survived and is "perfectly healthy", according to Galante. Galante admitted that the species is rare and vulnerable to extinction since they are endemic to one habitat.
'Extinct or Alive: Land of the Lost Sharks' aired on August 11 at 8/7c on Discovery Channel. A repeat presentation will air on August 12 at 12 am ET.