Stranded Shark in Florida Beach Rescued; Is Longfin Mako Aggressive?

A huge shark was spotted stranded on a beach in Florida. The beachgoers rescued it by helping it get back into the water.

Giant Shark Stranded

A longfin mako shark looked distressed when it was washed up along the shores at Pensacola Beach on Sept. 14. Tina Fey captured the incident and shared it on Facebook. The clip shows several men who rushed to help the sea creature.

According to her, the shark suddenly showed up on the shore while they were swimming. They contacted wildlife rescue and lifeguards and were told they couldn't help.

The group decided to take some action to help the shark. In the footage, the beachgoers can be seen gripping the mako by the tail and dragging it back into the ocean. The shark reacted violently as if it didn't want anyone to get a hold of him. In the latter part of the clip, the longfin mako can be seen swimming back into the ocean.

Another man said they saw the shark approaching the beach at a "fast speed," and it got stuck on the sand. They witnessed how it struggled to get back into the water. The woman who caught the video said they decided to take charge to help the poor shark.

The agitated shark dwarfed the men and even threw the rescuers aside. It also chomped the air several times, showing off its scary teeth.

Eventually, the shark was reportedly very still, with some wondering if it was still alive. However, after a few moments, it swam away. The people were overjoyed and cheered on it.

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Longfin Mako vs Shortfin Mako Sharks

Mako sharks have two species - longfin and shortfin. They are known for their sharp teeth and incredible speed, with the shortfin mako being the fastest shark in the ocean. They can swim up to 60 miles per hour to hunt their prey with agility and precision.

Due to their distinctive morphology, longfins are believed to be significantly slower and less active than shortfins and their other white shark relatives, such as the porbeagle and blue shark. Longfin mako sharks are also considered endothermic (warm-blooded) and capable of maintaining a body temperature higher than the water around them. However, this temperature elevation has not yet been measured.

They are not typically aggressive towards humans and will usually swim away if they feel threatened. Between the two, shortfin mako sharks are known for being aggressive.

Longfin mako is rare and more elusive than its counterpart. They can only be found in certain parts of the world.

Longfin mako sharks are regarded as endangered due to their low reproduction rates and decreased abundance. The amount of longfin mako sharks caught by commercial fisheries is unknown. However, shortfin mako sharks, whose population has significantly decreased globally, frequently use the same fishing equipment as longfin mako sharks, suggesting that the longfin population may have experienced a similar decline.