Is this fish photo real or fake?

by Florida Sportsman • January 10, 2012 • 10 comments

Photographers have a phrase for great pictures shot at the perfect moment. “Great capture,” they say. But with the era of digital enhancement in full effect, anyone with a computer has the ability to alter photos. Not surprisingly, fishermen—a skeptical bunch—have a hard time believing any photo that looks too exceptional to be true.

But that doesn’t stop them from talking about it on the Florida Sportsman Forums.

Consider the photo above. In the image, a shark appears to be breaching the water’s surface with a sailfish in its mouth. The sailfish looks stiff as a board and there’s no blood in the water. A high-visibility yellow fishing line is apparent running from the right of the photo toward the two fish, though it doesn’t seem to connect to either.

Theoretically, the photo could be a legitimate “capture.”

Most shark species don’t jump. Those that do, the two main species that are big enough to handle and eat a sailfish are white sharks and makos. Mako and white sharks can swim in the same waters as sailfish at certain times of the year, even if for short periods. These conclusions assume that this photo was snapped somewhere along the U.S. Coast. (In general, white and mako sharks are considered cold water species that only head south in the winter. Sailfish tend to like warmer waters and head north in the hotter, summer months.)

But the red flags surrounding this photo are unmistakable. Consider these observations:

>White sharks usually breach the water’s surface only when its prey is trying to escape—think of Pacific Coast seals as a prime example. The sailfish looks dead and stiff in the photo.

>Mako sharks tend to jump when hooked. Neither species would jump out of the water with a sailfish in its mouth for an extended period. So the photograph would likely have to be of the first jump.

>But it is possible that a shark attacked a dead or near-dead sailfish. It would explain why the shark was able to bite the sailfish at the dorsal fin (instead of from the belly).

So you make the call. Is the photo legitimate or fake? Join the discussion.

Related Articles:

  1. Track Shortfin Mako Catches
  2. The Tuna Fake Out
  3. Looking for a Breakline to Fish
  4. Photo Gallery – Pompano and Permit
  5. Great White Shark Characteristics
In test

10 Responses

  1. Iceman

    Great White Sharks are know to leap out the water when hunting seals. In this case the sail may have been hooked when the shark took advantage of it. We do have Great White Sharks in the Atlantic, so I believe it is possible.

    On January 11, 2012 at 8:41 am • Reply
  2. greaterwinterhaven

    Not a live, healthy sailfish…they are way to fast.

    On January 11, 2012 at 9:28 am • Reply
  3. Tarpon Tom

    I have had Hammer Head Sharks eat my sailfish after a long fight. But there usually juveniles around 15 20 pounds.

    On January 11, 2012 at 10:34 am • Reply
  4. pickle

    Absolutely no chance this is real!!!The position of the bite says it all.The only way a shark bites a sail in that position is if its dead and then you cant logically explain the fishing in that scenario.But we most certainly do have great white in fla.They have been showing up more and more at the wrecks off jacksonville waiting on grouper fisherman to bring up some enormous tasty meals for them!

    On January 11, 2012 at 10:38 am • Reply
  5. downtime

    could be a mako, they eat or try to eat our swordfish all the time. Need the original to see if it’s been modified.

    On January 11, 2012 at 1:00 pm • Reply
  6. conched out

    Either this is a baby white shark or this is a record size Atlantic sail.. look at the size comparison… It doesn't seem to be but it could be a Pacific sail which white sharks breaching for seals over there is fairly common.. my opinion is that its a fake, too many things in this pic are highly doubtful so I'm calling a fake..

    On January 11, 2012 at 1:52 pm • Reply
  7. mike

    The lighting doesn't look right on the sail, also, water doesn't seem to be shedding off of the sail at all – compared to copious amounts off of the shark. Breaching is relatively location/prey specific with whites. They only do it in a few places on earth even though whites are wide ranged.

    On January 11, 2012 at 3:11 pm • Reply
  8. Sid Dobrin

    I find it interesting that the conversation regarding the authenticity of this photo has centered on the content of the photo–what it depicts. I am faculty at the University of Florida where I research and teach about images and visual rhetoric. I work quite a bit with digital and photo manipulation. Rather than considering the content of the photo, I am interested in the physical properties of the photo and what they reveal. I also sent the photo to Professor Hany Farid at Dartmouth who is the country's–if not the world's–leading expert on photo manipulation. He and I agree that this photo has been edited since it was taken. The editing marks suggest that the editing was performed in iPhoto, but that the editing is minimal, likely just traces from importing the image from camera into an editor. The only sign of any alteration is that the photo has been cropped, otherwise there are no obvious signs of manipulation.

    Sid Dobrin
    Associate Professor
    Associate Graduate Coordinator
    Department of English
    University of Florida

    On January 12, 2012 at 12:00 pm • Reply
    • FLSportsman

      Thanks for the remarks Sid. Comments from an expert in the field can really make you think twice about a photo..

      On January 12, 2012 at 1:25 pm • Reply
  9. F-BHO

    So, FL Sportsman, are you now agreeing that it is not faked?

    On January 13, 2012 at 6:30 am • Reply