When Joel Wagner and Jamieson Murphy of Newcastle returned to shore after spearfishing off Nobbys Beach, a surprising thing happened.
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They were chatting to lifeguards when one pointed out a "huge chunk" missing from one of Joel's flippers.
They had been swimming about 100 to 150 metres offshore, behind the Soldiers Baths, on Saturday at about 12.30pm.
They only stayed out for about 15 to 20 minutes, given the water was murky and visibility low.
At one point, Joel thought he saw a fin behind where Jamieson was swimming. He had seen dolphins in the area before, so he didn't think much of it.
He fears a shark may have bit the flipper.
"I've spoken to a few people who are recreational divers and shown them the size of the bite and explained I didn't feel anything when it happened, and that it was murky water.
"They've all said there's absolutely no reason that it wasn't a shark. A few said it could have been a bull shark.
"They said because it was murky, a shark by nature is more likely to have a bite of something, not really knowing what it is.
"The reason they reckon I haven't felt it is because if it's taken a bite while I'm kicking, it's quite a long flipper and potentially I might have just felt the motion of my feet."
Joel thought about whether the flipper was brittle and had fallen apart.
"But I can bend it in every direction and it's perfectly fine. Something has taken a proper chunk out of it."
University of Newcastle ecologist Dr Vincent Raoult, who studies sharks, took a close look at photos of the flipper.
"The angular shape of the cut towards the end of the fin is uncharacteristic of shark bites," Dr Raoult said.
"It also looks a little too clean of a cut."
He said it would be "very odd he didn't feel anything" if it was a shark.
"I would also expect some grabbing for a shark to bite out a fin like that. That said, it's a very odd structural failure if that's what it is. I would be surprised that there was no bit hanging off after he got out of the water."
He added that a "bite expert" would have to examine the flipper to confirm the shark-bite theory.
Jamieson is sceptical that a shark bit the flipper. He's a journalist with The Land, a sister paper of the Newcastle Herald, so he's naturally sceptical.
Given Joel didn't feel anything in the water, Jamieson's theory is that a heavy object may have been resting on the flipper while it was in a garage not being used. He suggested this could have made the flipper "structurally weak".
The pair would love to get readers' thoughts on the matter. Drop us an email at topics@newcastleherald.com.au.
Pets and People
Can pets cure loneliness? Monash University researchers would like to know.
They aim to investigate whether bonding with animals can reduce loneliness and social isolation in at-risk groups.
The university said loneliness and isolation "stem from a reduced sense of belonging and lack of social connections" and the risk factors increase with age.
Minorities, international students, refugees and recent migrants are at higher risk due to a lack of social interactions. The study aims to explore the way pets and the human-animal bond may reduce this sense of loneliness in these groups.
It's great they're doing the study, but Topics already knows the answer.
Pets are great for people.
