Sharks lurking off of Florida’s coast may be eating bundles of cocaine dumped in the ocean by US-bound drug smugglers — and scientists want to find out.
With the massive amounts of drugs washing up on beaches and being pulled out of the ocean by authorities each year, marine biologist Tom Hird wanted to investigate whether or not sharks had ingested cocaine as part of a new TV series “Cocaine Sharks” — which will premiere during Discovery Channel’s beloved “Shark Week” next week.
In the program, Hird and University of Florida environmental scientist Tracy Fanara conduct a number of experiments on sharks off the Florida Keys, where fishermen have reportedly told tales about drug-addicted fish.
“The deeper story here is the way that chemicals, pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs are entering our waterways — entering our oceans — and what effect that they then could go on to have on these delicate ocean ecosystems,” Hird told Live Science.
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Marine biologists conducted several experiments to test a shark’s reaction to dummy bales of cocaine in the Florida Keys.mediadrumimages/@captainjohnmoor Tens of thousands of kilos of cocaine and other drugs are seized by the US Coast Guard each year.via REUTERS
Hird and Fantana dove underwater and noticed some sharks acting strangely in the episode.
A hammerhead shark, a species that typically shies away from humans, darted right at them and appeared to be swimming askew.
At 60 feet below the surface, a sandbar shark was seen swimming in tight circles, appearing fixated on an object that was not there, according to the show.
Next, they tested how sharks reacted to the packages they dropped in the water which were similar in size and shape to cocaine bales.
In the experiment, the sharks appeared to choose fake bales of cocaine over a dummy swan.Alamy Stock Photo The sharks also appeared to respond to bricks of fake cocaine dropped from an airplane.Santiago Fernandez/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
In the experiment, they placed the fake bales next to dummy swans, and were shocked to watch sharks head directly for the bales and take bites out of them — with one shark even swimming away with one.
Hird and Fantana then attempted to ethically recreate the physical rush of cocaine with a highly-concentrated ball of fish powder to trigger a massive dopamine response from the sharks.
The sharks can be seen going wild, according to Live Science.
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“I think we have got a potential scenario of what it may look like if you gave sharks cocaine,” Hird says on the program. “We gave them what I think is the next best thing. [It] set [their] brains aflame. It was crazy.”
The experiment was inconclusive, with further research needed, the scientists said.AP “Cocaine Sharks” premieres next week on Discovery Channel as part of Shark Week.Alamy Stock Photo
For their final experiment, they dropped imitation bales of cocaine from an airplane to simulate how the drugs might actually get into the shark’s ecosystem.
Multiple shark species made a bee-line for the fakes, the scientists observed.
Hird said their experiments don’t prove that there are drug-addicted sharks consuming cocaine off Florida.
More experiments would have to be repeated and there could be a wide number of environmental reasons why the sharks responded in such a way.
“We have no idea what [cocaine] could do to the shark,” Hird told Live Science, adding that of the limited research that’s been done, different fish appear to react in different ways to the same chemical. “So we can’t even say well this is a baseline and go from here,” he said.
Florida leaders give update on damages following heavy downpours, flash flooding this week
Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida emergency management leaders held a news conference in Hollywood on Friday, as they updated communities on the scope of the damage caused by heavy downpours and flash floods this week. FOX 13’s Aaron Mesmer reports.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida emergency management leaders held a news conference in Hollywood on Friday, as they updated communities on the scope of the damage caused by heavy downpours and flash floods this week.
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Florida’s Division of Emergency Management Director, Kevin Guthrie, said so far there are reports of about 100 homes in Hollywood that were impacted, with four suffering serious damage.
“I’d imagine that number is going to be probably closer to 500,” said Guthrie, who didn’t appear to include in his estimate homes in other hard-hit areas.
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READ: Cortez community built to withstand the strongest of storms
Guthrie believes the majority of the damage to structures is minor. State leaders said that’s fortunate, considering parts of the South Florida area saw more than 20 inches of rain this week, including nearly 10 inches in a 24-hour period.
Guthrie said those communities were better prepared after experiencing a similar situation 15 months ago. The state estimates about 100 pumps have been used this week to clear flood water.
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“I think the testament here is to the cities and the county and the state for coming in and getting this done as fast as we did. There’s not the damage that we saw back 15 months ago,” he said. “So a very, very rapid response led to the reduction of destroyed and major damage to homes.”
Some of the hardest hit areas include Hollywood, Aventura and Hallandale Beach. A state of emergency was issued for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties. Those areas are no longer under a flash flood emergency.
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“The area held a lot of it, but it just was so much inundation in such a short period of time, that you ended up having this,” DeSantis said.
Guthrie said he does not believe the area will qualify for a FEMA emergency delcaration, but may be able to qualify for a Small Business Administration declaration, due to damage to businesses and uninsured homes.
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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Hollywood on Friday morning.
DeSantis addressed flooding in South Florida caused by intense rainfall from a tropical disturbance.
He was accompanied by Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue.
City officials in Hollywood said they saw close to 20 inches of rain in the area since Tuesday.
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SHARE YOUR PHOTOS: Flooding widespread as storms sweep across South Florida
And in Fort Lauderdale, there was more of the same as the mayor said crews are facing a tough situation.
Despite the heavy flooding, Hollywood residents were grateful Friday morning as the high waters that took over the streets, leading to cars having to be towed, began to recede.
DeSantis said that at least 100 pumps are in use to drain the water from the severe flooding.
He also said his office has been in constant communication with the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who are helping with the recovery efforts.
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Guthrie urged residents to stay off the roads if possible and keep records of property damage inside their homes.
“If your home has significant damage, do not enter the building if it is still flooded. You should take pictures before doing any kind of cleanup so you can send them to your flood insurance companies to get refunded. Please avoid any areas that are subject to flooding and never try to walk through the water. Some of the water is contaminated and we urged parents to not allow their children to play in it,” he said.
DeSantis said we are expected to receive more rain but said, “South Florida has the staff and emergency response teams in place to handle it.”
Officials in the city of Hollywood said they are requesting more pumps to help with all the flooding as more rain is expected in the forecast.
Local 10 viewers can watch the news conference here:
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The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 3-0 series lead on Thursday.
Heading into the second period, with the Panthers up 1-0, Oilers forward Warren Foegele found the back of the net to tie things up.
The Panthers then caught fire, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead into the final period.
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Edmonton made things interesting in the third period, cutting the deficit to one following goals from Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod. However, the Oilers comeback attempt fell just short.
The Panthers are now one win away from hoisting its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Florida forward Sam Bennett said after the game the prospect of winning the Stanley Cup is “exciting” but added that the series is not over.
“We got a job to do,” Bennett told the ABC broadcast. “We got to come prepared to play the exact same game.”
On the other hand, the Oilers will look to do what only one team in NHL history has ever done, come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final – the only team being the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Three other teams have clawed back from the dreaded deficit in the NHL playoffs, the last one being the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.
Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada at 8 p.m. ET.
