3 days ago
Fore! The Most Unexpected Hazard In Disc Golf History: Falling Sharks.
Jonathan Marlowe holding the dropped shark.
Jonathan Marlowe
Today I learned that the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) has a rather odd, but fitting, nickname: 'fish hawk.' The reason for this moniker? It's the only bird species known to have feet specifically adapted for grabbing slippery, fast-moving prey from the water. Unlike most birds of prey, ospreys can rotate their outer toes to grasp fish with two talons facing forward and two facing back, giving them a better grip mid-flight. Their talons also curve more sharply than those of other raptors, and their footpads are equipped with tiny spines that act like Velcro against fish scales. It's an elegant, effective system that turns them into specialized fish hunters, and they're often seen flying with their catch in tow. I've witnessed this when I lived in Sarasota for university, sometimes watching as they carried small fish under 12 inches (30 cm) in this vice-like grip… and sometimes something much bigger. But even a bird this skilled has its limits, and nature doesn't always let the hunt end smoothly.
Just ask Jonathan Marlowe, who recently had his afternoon interrupted by a very unusual sight. While enjoying a game at the Splinter City Disc Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Marlowe looked up and saw an osprey flying overhead near the 11th hole. That in itself wasn't odd, since locals are used to seeing the raptors hunting near the Atlantic coast. But what happened next was. As the osprey passed overhead, it was suddenly attacked by two crows engaging in what's known as 'mobbing,' a behavior where smaller birds team up to drive off larger predators. It's a high-stakes, high-energy display often seen during breeding season when crows defend their nests from threats. Caught in the middle of this aerial ambush, the osprey managed to escape without injury, but it lost its meal in the process. As Marlowe watched, the catch hurtled from midair to the ground. Curious, he walked over to where it had landed, expecting a fish — but not that kind of fish.
'We couldn't believe it and kept asking ourselves, 'Did that really just happen?'' Marlowe told Garden & Gun magazine. What had fallen from the sky wasn't a trout or a mullet. It was a hammerhead shark.
The dropped shark, who did not survive.
Jonathan Marlowe
Hammerhead sharks are hard to mistake for any other species of fish, let alone shark, thanks to their wide, flattened heads (known as cephalofoils). This design helps with sensory perception and maneuverability for all ten species of hammerheads that exist globally. Several make their home off the southern U.S. coast, including the bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo), the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), and the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). In fact, the waters around the state of South Carolina have gained attention in recent years for being home to a rare species first described in 2013: the Carolina hammerhead (Sphyrna gilberti). At the time of writing this article, it has not been confirmed which species of hammerhead was scooped up (and then unceremoniously dumped) by the osprey, but the whole scene left quite an impression with those watching. Marlowe decided to leave the shark where it lay, just in case the osprey returned for it's lost meal. Which gave others time to come inspect the bizarre scene themselves… or stumble upon it by accident, like one group of disc golfers who stumbled upon the small hammerhead and were (understandably) confused. 'They were standing there in shock with no frame of reference for what could have possibly happened,' Marlowe said. It's not every day you just see a shark on your golf course, especially if it's not a themed one!
While the idea of a shark falling from the sky may sound like the setup for a bad science fiction movie (ahem… Sharknado), it's a real example of how interconnected land, sea, and sky can aren't just incredible fishers — they're a living link between ocean and sky, capable of hunting creatures we usually think belong far below the waves. And while the shark, unfortunately, didn't survive the fall, it's life did not end in vain: we got to witness an incredible predation event many rarely see played out!
