First tagged shark of the season named Luke, in memory of Martha’s Vineyard fisherman who recently died at sea
Martha’s Vineyard fisherman Luke Gurney, who died while fishing off Nantucket.
To many, Luke is a terrifying, maritime apex predator. But to Greg Skomal, the 12-foot great white shark serves as a memory of a longtime friend.
Skomal, a state marine biologist for the Division of Marine Fisheries, said he lost a friend of 25 years when Luke Gurney, a New Bedford native and Martha’s Vineyard resident, was swept overboard while fishing off Nantucket last week.
In a brief interview, Skomal said Gurney, whose death devastated his adopted island home, was one of the best fisherman he ever knew. A fellow ocean enthusiast, Skomal said he knew Gurney both professionally and personally and described him as “the life of the party.”
“I knew I wanted to name a shark after Luke,” Skomal said, “and this was the first shark of the season for us.”
Skomal got his opportunity Friday while working with researchers from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy off Nauset Beach, tagging the 12-foot great white shark and naming him in honor of his late friend.
https://www.facebook.com/atlanticwhiteshark/videos/1060343407380307/
The group first spotted the shark feeding on a seal and caught up with it while it was headed out to the deep sea, Skomal recalled. But before doing so, it fortuitously came up to the surface, allowing him to tag it.
“It cooperated for me and that doesn’t happen too often with great white sharks,” Skomal said.
https://www.facebook.com/atlanticwhiteshark/posts/1059908587423789
According to the conservancy, Luke was first identified back in 2014 by fellow DMF marine biologist John Chisolm.
Tagging sharks allows researchers to identify, track, and study the animals to learn more about their migration, lifestyle, and ecosystem. But Skomal says this one he tagged for “selfish reasons,” too.
“These sharks tend to hang around for the season,” he said. “So I should get to see Luke a few times a week now.”
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