Is it a shark, or a dolphin?

[Guest avid]

There is yet another raging controversy on the bassresource.com forum.

The lonely surfer sees a huge shark directly in front of him, while his good buddy says "frig the rescue dude, get my camera"!!

the ALLEGED photographer, trying to downplay the fact that he left his friend bobbing like a baited cork, tries to cover his tracks by

making the absurd assertion that this antediluvian behemoth is really flipper (yeah....right)

and there some resource room rejects on this forum who fell for this obvious cover up (Mexican veterinarians excluded)

so Avid in his infinite wisdom has decided to leave the final up to the collective wisdom of the bassresource.com membership.

Is it (as anyone with half a brain can see) a shark?

or are you so gullable as to actually believe the stupid disclaimer from the so called "friend"

Kindly exercise your constitutional franchise and vote........................................  

[Big T]

It is a shark, that dorsal fin is to sharply pointed and I have never seen a Dolphin that large before.

Big T

[.ghoti.]

Any Bill Engvall fan knows that that's a dorkfish

[Siebert Outdoors]

I'm siding with the I'm a dork and its a dolphin

[Guest muddy]

I grew up Bluefishing in the Atlantic off Brooklyn and when we were in schools of them, sharks frequently made meals of your catch when you were reeling them in.I also question if the second picture was the same animal posted in the first picture. The water does distort the first fish but the profile of both it's body and fin are a lot different than the second picture. Granted the second shot is out of the ater, and it's a little too out and clear for me( Photolabbed!)

[fishfordollars]

I cannot believe someone voted it was a dolfin.

[Guest muddy]

I have a surefire way to settle this. Next time someone sees something like this JUMP IN AND LETS US KNOW HOW YOU DID

[llPa1nll]

Here is something to think about, for all of you who believe its a shark...  

Im siding that its a dolphin and I will give my opinion on why it is here. Everyone can look and see the clearly shaped dorsal fin, which makes you think "Oh Snap!, Thats a shark.". A dolphins rear tail/fin is horizontally aligned with the body. As a mammal all tails are that way whether it be a dolphin or a whale. A shark on the other hand is a fish, and like our LMB friends most fish tails are aligned vertically with the body. If you see a shark in shallow water what is following close behind its dorsal fin? Its tail, so youd see 2 fins break the water.

Now I tell you that for one reason. If this was a shark and the dorsal fin is so clearly seen you would also see its tail fin maybe not as clear but allot clearer than what is depicted in the photograph. I think in my opinion that the reason the tail is hard to make out is because its horizontally aligned on the body therefore making it a dolphin and not a shark. Just my opinion...

[slomoe]

I agree with pain, If it was a shark the tail would be as pronounced as the dorsal.

[Raul]

I cannot believe someone voted it was a dolfin.

Go and sit on the dork side, it 's a dolphin.

[Raul]

Here is something to think about, for all of you who believe its a shark...

Im siding that its a dolphin and I will give my opinion on why it is here. Everyone can look and see the clearly shaped dorsal fin, which makes you think "Oh Snap!, Thats a shark.". A dolphins rear tail/fin is horizontally aligned with the body. As a mammal all tails are that way whether it be a dolphin or a whale. A shark on the other hand is a fish, and like our LMB friends most fish tails are aligned vertically with the body. If you see a shark in shallow water what is following close behind its dorsal fin? Its tail, so youd see 2 fins break the water.

Now I tell you that for one reason. If this was a shark and the dorsal fin is so clearly seen you would also see its tail fin maybe not as clear but allot clearer than what is depicted in the photograph. I think in my opinion that the reason the tail is hard to make out is because its horizontally aligned on the body therefore making it a dolphin and not a shark. Just my opinion...

Oh man, you really are good ! you should go to vet school and I 'm positive you 'll get as good or even better grades than I did; those powers of observation must make you one hell of a bass fisherman whom I 'd be glad to share my boat with.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

snopes says it's a dolphin. I say it's scary either way,lol

[Panamoka_Bassin]

I voted for shark, but truly we can never know what it is.  I have seen plenty of dolphins and sharks in their natural environments (i.e. not SeaWorld) and it can be hard to tell the difference through the water.  Water plays tricks on the eyes in a lot of different ways (ever put a pencil in a glass of water and see it "broken"?).

Some salient points to consider:

-The issue with the tail may be that it is horizontaly attached like a mammal, or the tail may be away from the camera from side-to-side movement

-Follow this logic:  If the tail is horizontally aligned, the swimming motion of the animal would be up and down (kinda like an inch worm.  When the tail is vertically aligned, the animal swims with a side to side motion, which would account for the higher visibility of the dorsal fin in the picture.  When dolphins and whales turn, the whole body moves at the same time, like a skateboard leaning into the turn.  The animal in the picture is moving forward, it seems, but a bend in the body is deffinately visible.

-A picture taken "later that day" means nothing.  I have seen both dolphins and sharks in the same exact spot within minutes of each other

I don't know if I am right or wrong, I just know what I can deduce from a picture...

[mayassa]

I'd tell everyone it was a shark!

[Tin]

The dorsal looks like a shark, but the head looks like that of a dolphin. IDK  :-? Either way I dont want anything like that near me.     I think muddy is on to something though, a little too clear.

[llPa1nll]

Here is something to think about, for all of you who believe its a shark...  

Im siding that its a dolphin and I will give my opinion on why it is here. Everyone can look and see the clearly shaped dorsal fin, which makes you think "Oh Snap!, Thats a shark.". A dolphins rear tail/fin is horizontally aligned with the body. As a mammal all tails are that way whether it be a dolphin or a whale. A shark on the other hand is a fish, and like our LMB friends most fish tails are aligned vertically with the body. If you see a shark in shallow water what is following close behind its dorsal fin? Its tail, so youd see 2 fins break the water.

Now I tell you that for one reason. If this was a shark and the dorsal fin is so clearly seen you would also see its tail fin maybe not as clear but allot clearer than what is depicted in the photograph. I think in my opinion that the reason the tail is hard to make out is because its horizontally aligned on the body therefore making it a dolphin and not a shark. Just my opinion...

Oh man, you really are good ! you should go to vet school and I 'm positive you 'll get as good or even better grades than I did; those powers of observation must make you one hell of a bass fisherman whom I 'd be glad to share my boat with.

Thanks Rual...

Thank you for the kind words. I just wish that those observations would put more and bigger fish in the boat   .   I got room in my boat for you any time.  

[Big T]

After futher review of the picture, I retract my statement. It possibly could be a dolphin. It is definatley shaped weird for a shark. That is a huge Dolphin if that is what is. I am still not going surfing, swimming ,or anything that requires me getting out of my boat in water that is more than knee deep. ;D

Big T

[MALTESE FALCON]

I say it's a dolphin.

Falcon

[Fish Man]

i voted dolphin,i was thinkin exactly what Pain said

[Troutfisher]

IT IS A DOLPHIN!

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/surfer.asp

How many times MUST I POST THIS LINK?  :

[Jake P]

i read last night where you posted that link and said it was a dolphin, it was funny to read what everyone thought though.

[=Matt 5.0=]

I voted for "Orca"...

[frogtog]

Look at the tail section on a shark, now look at the tail section of a dolphin. Not

being a salt water man, I think a sharks tail fin runs straight up and down and

a dolphin tail fin runs left to right is this correct. If not then correct me.

[KYbass1276]

Seeing how I don't live near the ocean and my cares about distingusihing ocean going creatures apart from one another equal a big rat's hairy rear,  I'm going with avid on this one.  It's a shark.    

[Big T]

Look at the tail section on a shark, now look at the tail section of a dolphin. Not

being a salt water man, I think a sharks tail fin runs straight up and down and

a dolphin tail fin runs left to right is this correct. If not then correct me.

You are correct

Big T