FEMALES**

"Rope"
Rope was a small female, 1.5m/5ft, who was a regular on The Big Fish Encounter back in 2002.  She appeared one day with a length of rope wrapped tightly around her tail, a memento from a hard fought battle with a fisherman.  With the rope constricting her tail growth and movement, she was observed getting slowly weaker and weaker.  Rope has not been seen since January 2004?.

"Kinky"
July 2003
Another of the regular visitors to the Big Fish Encounter, Kinky is easily identified by a large kink in the front of her dorsal fin.  She started by only taking scraps from the bottom and now has quite a special relationship with the feeders.  It seems that she is actually quite a fussy eater and has spat out frozen fish, preferring to wait for the defrosted, warmer fish later in the dive!

"Stumpy"
Terminal lobe of caudal fin missing - July 2003.
Coming in at 2.5m/8ft, Stumpy is quite a large Bull.  With her cut off 'stumpy tail' making her easily identifiable from a distance, she is one of the most self assured and relaxed sharks at the feed.  The feeders describe her as "quite sweet really".

"Big Mama"
Very large; posterior margin of 1st dorsal fin cut and ragged, apex cut with cut slanting forward. Right hand corner of mouth crooked.
Measuring a whopping 3m/10ft, Big Mama certainly lives up to her name and with her classic Bull Shark profile; big beefy and round, nobody misses her at the Big Fish Encounter.

"Cilla"
Right pelvic fin cut in half horizontally - July 2003
Originally called 'Elvis the Pelvis' due to a severed right pelvic fin, Elvis was then seen to be a girl and named 'Priscilla' which the feeders immediately shortened to Cilla.  She is very timid and has yet to take food from the feeders, preferring to feed off the bottom at her own pace.

"Annie"
Tip (half) of anal fin cut horizontally - July 2003
Annie is a medium sized Bull at 1.8m/6ft easily distinguished by her severed anal fin.  She is a regular at the Big Fish Encounter, although she has yet to take any food at all!  During the Bull Shark Tagging Project in September 2004, Annie was one of the individuals tagged and can now be identified by her coloured tag; GREEN/RED/YELLOW.

"Crook"
June 2003
Second only to Big Mamma in size, Crook is described by the feeders as "one of the coolest sharks around".  She is about 3m/10ft long, quite often dragging long lines of fishing tackle around; with a crooked smile caused by fish hook damage.  Crook was seen to be pregnant in January 2004 and should deliver her pups in early 2005.

"Hook"
July 2003
Named due to the large fish hook lodged in the right side of her mouth many years ago.  Over time, the feeder and scientists have observed the hook slowly move outwards with her teeth and eventually be expelled.  This made identifying her a little tricky for a while, now she is recognized by her dorsal fin being cut at a slanted angle.

"Crush"
Apex of right pectoral fin folded downwards - January 2003

"Bum"
Anal fin curled to the right - July 2003

"Granma"
Both corners of mouth crooked (right hand side with distinctive long vertical cut). Bad right eye. Very long pectoral fins; right pectoral fin with upward swing - January 2004

"Grin"
Right corner of mouth crooked - March 2004

"Rip"
Rip on posterior margin of 1st dorsal fin - September 2004

"Tipper"
Tip of terminal lobe of caudal fin folded over to the right - before March 2006

"Hotlips"
White horizontal bulge on right hand upper and frontal labrial furrow. Scar-like dark narrow band extending down across lower jaw, starting below the white bulge - March 2006

"Second"
Apex of 2nd dorsal fin cut horizontally - August 2006

"Alexis"
Missing 2nd dorsal fin - January 2007

"Chica"
Right upper corner of mouth with narrow bulge protruding forward - January 2007

"Elvira"
Left pelvic fin cut in half horizontally - January 2007

"Detour"
Posterior margin of 1st dorsal fin curving inwards, then outwards, then back inwards (a "detour") 

"Valerie"
Tip of left pectoral fin bent/pointing downwards

"Topsail"
Upper half of 1st dorsal fin missing, horizontal bulge below cut - October 2007

"Topsail"

"Bumphead"

"Scarry"
Narrow scars extending down and posteriorly from both corners of mouth. Left hand scar curving upwards at the end - January 2008

"Gash" (Scar)
Vertical scar on the right body side below 1st dorsal fin - January 2008

"Missy"
Ventral lobe of caudal fin missing - February 2008

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"Curly"

"Pointer"
Apex of first dorsal fin with distinctive sickle-shaped point - February 2009

"Blunt"
Apex of left pectoral fin blunt - February 2009

"Brenda"
Posterior edge at the base of the 1st dorsal fin cut at a 45 degree angle - February 2009

"Sierra"
Left corner of mouth crooked - February 2009

"Marlen"

"Twist"
Base of inner margin of first dorsal fin twisted - March 2009

"Sickle"
Small. Characteristic short and sickle-shaped first dorsal - March 2009

"Moana"
Large. Left hand corner of mouth deeply crooked, right hand corner mildly crooked - March 2009

 

"Tip"
Small portion of tip of apex of first dorsal fin chipped and bent to the right; rounded first and second dorsal fins - March 2009

 

"Dash"   

Dash-like cut halfway up posterior margin of first dorsal fin, short piece of fishing leader protruding downwards from left corner of mouth - March 2009

"Liz "  

Collar-like mark extends halfway across lower body starting from first gill slit on the right-hand side - March 2009

"Scabby"   

Diagonal row of pale blotches (=scabs) above axil of right-hand pectoral fin, end of thick fishing line protruding from below left-hand corner of mouth - March 2009

"Nani"   

Large. Right-hand corner of mouth with deep, long vertical incision, apex of righ pectoral fin bent upwards at a 90 degree angle - June 2009

"Nani"

"Trevally"   

Large. Keel-like protuberance on right-hand ventral lobe of caudal fin just below caudal peduncle - June 2009

 

"Trevally"

"Noodles"   

Noodle-like thick fishing line protruding from below right-hand side of mouth - June 2009

"Shorty"  

Base of inner margin of first dorsal fin cut - June 2009

 

"Shorty"

"Tipless"   

Upper quarter of dorsal lobe of caudal fin missing - June 2009

"Tail"   

Terminal lobe lobe of caudal fin loose and slanted to the left - July 2009

"Helen"   

Mole-like wart below right-hand corner of mouth - July 2009

"Gill"   

Notable wide wound on first right-hand gill slit - August 2009

"Lill"  

Small, horizontal notch in lower postventral margin of caudal fin (ventral lobe) - August 2009

 

"Lill"

"Miss America"   

Half of dorsal lobe of caudal fin missing, anal fin atrophized - August 2009

 

"Miss America"

"Wave"   

Characteristic bulge (=wave) on posterior edge of ventral lobe of caudal fin - August 2009

"Trigger"   

Anal fin hooked, apex pointing slightly upwards - September 2009

"Junior"   

Small, anal fin atrophized - September 2009

"Naughtylus"   

Huge. Right hand corner of mouth slightly crooked, small hooks in each corner of mouth, posterior edge of apex of first dorsal fin slightly notched - September 2009

 

"Naughtylus"

 

"Fold" 

Ventral lobe of caudal fin folded to the left, small protrusion facing backwards from basis of dorsal lobe of caudal fin - September 2009

 

"Fold"

"Jennifer"

Small Female with wound on lower jaw (right side) - November 2009

 

"Bling"

November 2009

 

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"MALES**

"Jaws"
Jaws is a very special shark to everyone, but especially the feeders.  He arrived at the Big Fish Encounter looking very thin and with his flesh hanging from his body.  The left hand side of his jaw was hanging open, almost completely severed, presumably from a battle with fishing tackle.  The feeders worked with him and Jaws is now a healthy male, 1.5m/5ft long with a very gentle and easy going manner, although his jaw still hangs open on the left hand side and he can only feed with the right hand side of his mouth.

"Whitenose"

 

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