Figure this one out: NSW SharkSmart’s official Instagram page – as in, the page representing the state body that studies shark patterns and helps keep people safe at beaches – has lost a tracking tag. And they know this, because it’s still pinging satellites. From about 5km inland. Where it currently is.
The story goes that the SharkSmart Instagram page put the call out for the shark tag, which gathers information on the underwater beasties for about 120 days before it jettisons itself outta there and waits for a science guy to pick it up.
The problem with this specific one, which came from a bull shark apparently, is that someone else got to it first.
SharkSmart put the call out for the person who has apparently absentmindedly picked the tag up and put it in their car, revealing that pings from the tag are strongest in a residential area near Shellharbour Private Hospital and a car park at the University of Wollongong.
Per the post, SharkSmart stated “one of our Bull shark tags has washed ashore near you and is being detected at a residence in Shellharbour and a carpark at @uow. It’s sitting in someone’s car!”
SharkSmart also stated that “these satellite tags pop off the shark after 120 days filled with lots of important data like where the shark travelled, how deep it was diving and water temperature.”
Data retrieved from the tag shows a strong signal near UoW’s Library, which SharkSmart posted to their Instagram Stories.
Even funnier though is the absolute chaos that the tag’s been throwing off in the Shellharbour area, which is down to either erratic signal connections with satellites, or someone going absolutely buck-fucken-wild with the thing.
SharkSmart has urged locals in the area who may know the exact whereabouts of the tag to come forward. Whoever has the tag has been promised a “cool shark t-shirt” in exchange for its safe return. And honestly, you’d do shitheaps more for a cool shark t-shirt. In fact there’s very few scenarios where you wouldn’t do the requested task if there were a cool shark t-shirt on the line.
If you happen to know where the tag is, or whomst may have it, you can hit up NSW SharkSmart through their Instagram page.
