Hammerhead Shark Giving Birth On Beach in Florida

An inconsiderate fisherman caused a hammerhead shark to give birth before a large audience on a Florida beach. According to the Daily Mail UK, a fisherman pulled a 5-foot-long, pregnant hammerhead onto the shore of Panama City Beach in Florida, causing the animal to go into shock and have her babies.

A crowd quickly gathered around the shallow water where the shark mom was settled to get a better look at the creature. Onlookers soon noticed that the animal was giving birth while thrashing on the sand. Several animal lovers near the scene tried to drag the shark back into water, but said the predator continued to swim to the shore.

Park rangers arrived shortly after the incident to help the shark, but sadly the animal passed away. Things turned out better for the sharks' surprise pups. Hammerhead pups are extremely independent and often swim away from their mom shortly after birth, as was the case with these newborns. They will spend the next few weeks fending for themselves in the shallow waters around the beach before heading into the ocean.

This shocking sight is just one of an increasing number of hammerhead sightings around Florida. The sharks are often seen in shallow reefs or following fishing boats. Hammerheads are not known for attacking humans and usually go after smaller prey.

Via

Links — 1, 2, 3

The beach in Florida after a fisherman hauled the five foot shark from the water and dragged it towards the sand.

A Pink Dolphin

A PINK DOLPHIN..AWESOME! WHAT A TREAT!

Think pink … you’re not seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses: This albino dolphin is pink.

Unique … the bottlenose – first spotted in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary in Louisiana, by boat captain Erik Rue, 42, in 2007 – has surfaced again.

Attraction … tourists are flocking to the lake in hopes of seeing the rare mammal.

Rare sight … “Pinky” is believed to be the only pink dolphin in the world, and has “reddish” eyes. It is usually spotted with its dark grey mother.

One of a kind … there are only 14 other known albino dolphins in the world, all of them white.

Healthy glow … “The dolphin appears to be healthy and normal other than its coloration, which is quite beautiful and stunningly pink,” said Mr Rue, who estimates he has spotted Pinky more than 40 times.

Oldest Animals: Life Spans Of Elephants, Tortoises And More Species

Human longevity is increasing all the time. But compared to some other animals, a human's average life span (about 78.5 years according to the CDC) is nothing to brag about. One bird celebrated his 79th birthday, and a certain reptile became a father for the first time at age 111. 

We found seven creatures who get to spend a long time on Earth, some for hundreds of years.

Bowhead Whale

Average Life Span: Over 200 Years 

Giant Tortoises

Average Life Span: 100 Years

Tuatara

Average Life Span: Over 100 Years

Asian Elephants

Average Life Span: 60 Years 

Cockatoos

Average Life Span: 40 - 60 Years 

Western Lowland Gorillas

Average Life Span: 50 Years

Manx Shearwater

Average Life Span: 15 Years But There Are Impressive Exceptions

Top 10 new species discovered in 2012

Welcome to Earth!

The top 10 species were selected by an international committee of taxon experts from more than 140 nominated species out of an estimated 18,000 species named in 2012.

The top 10 list is released each year on or about Carolus Linnaeus’ birthday on May 23rd. Linnaeus is the “Father of Taxonomy” and his work in the mid 18th century was the beginning point for “modern” naming and classification of plants and animals.

Here they are:
Chondrocladia lyra : A carnivorous sponge, that lives 2 miles below the surface of the northwest Pacific Ocean.

Sibon noalamina : Resembling poisonous coral snakes, this harmless snake eats slugs, earthworms and snails.

Cercopithecus lomamiensis : A monkey with a delicate human-like face surrounded by a frill of fur.

Ochroconis anomala : Staining the prehistoric arts on the walls of the Lascaux cave, this fungus is black in color.

Eugenia petrikensis : A 6.5 feet high evergreen shrub that’s endangered. This shrub displays clusters of dark pink flowers.

Viola lilliputana : This tiny, Lilliputian violet stands just 1 cm tall and grows only in the Peruvian Andes.

Paedophryne amanuensis : Even smaller than the Lilliputian violet, this frog is just a mere 7.7 millimeteres in length.

Semachrysa jade : Posted on Flickr and spotted by an entomologist, this lacewing insect is green in color.

Lucihormetica luckae : A cockroach that glows in the dark! A single specimen discovered 70 years ago, it is thought to be extinct.

Juracimbrophlebia ginkgofolia : Resembling a gingko, this hangingfly lived in the Middle Jurassic period.

We are not alone. We share our Earth with millions of different species. But most of us are too busy with humans. We do not spend much time to learn about others. At least we can try to give a warm welcome to ten new species every year.

The Best Underwater Photography Contest 2013