A group of Maltese divers are being investigated by police after they posted a photo of themselves posing with a dead shark they initially claimed to have caught.
Image: timesofmalta.com
The photo and post caused an uproar and was quickly removed from the users Facebook. The now deleted Facebook post read, “We caught it before it caught us. Whoever thinks we do not do anything, this is what we do.”
One of the groups members spoke with Times of Malta after the backlash, telling that the picture was over a year old and that they found the shark washed ashore, already dead.
According to a statement from the Environment and Resources Authority, “The shark in question, which in all probability is actually a female Short-fin Mako Shark, is a protected species. Great white sharks, which resemble short-fin makos, were also protected.”
Authorities are actively investigating the case and working alongside the ERA to get to the truth concerning the divers and their photo op with the shark.
