From the ExmouthHerald:
A shark spotter has returned from trip-of-a-lifetime and helped uncoverwhat is thought to be a new species of shark, writes Becca Gliddon.
Tony Bennett, 46, has spent two weeks in Kuwait with the Shark ConservationSociety (SCS) on a ground-breaking expedition to identify the number of sharkspecies in the Kuwaiti and Gulf seas.
Mr Bennett teamed up with shark conservationist Richard Peirce gatheringvaluable data which is hoped to become the basis of a much larger study in thefuture. Keen scuba diver Mr Bennett, whohas been a member of the society for several years, said: “Fifteen sharkand 12 ray species were confirmed and recorded, and it is possible that a newspecies has been identified.
“Experts are currently assessing specimens found in the market whichmay be the smoothtooth blacktip shark. Hitherto this species had only beenknown to exist in the Gulf of Aden where thesole specimen was recorded.
