Once a shark has been brought up to the boat and landed, the real work of a shark observer begins. First, the shark must be maneuvered to a position on the boat where measurements can be taken. With sharks that are landed dead, this is a fairly easy task. Sharks landed alive yield quite a different scenario. A 8 to 14 foot shark on the deck of the boat possesses a great potential for injury to the crew and damage to the boat.
Immediate attention is taken to subdue the shark.
Accurate identifications of sharks are made and measurements taken. A number is placed on the underside of the snout and the shark is stacked with other sharks that are waiting to be cleaned. This number will be referenced later when the sharks are being cleaned and prepared to be packed on ice. At that time stomach contents and reproductive biology data can be recorded. Observer Chad Macfie measures a juvenile mako shark off of the outer banks of North Carolina.