Perth shark expert reveals what could have been behind dead southern eagle ray caught in Swan River

A Perth shark expert has revealed what he believes is likely to have eaten half a stingray pulled to shore by a Swan River angler at the weekend.

Liam Kenny was enjoying a morning fish on Sunday when he hooked onto a southern eagle ray, but when he finally reeled it in found it had huge bite marks taken out of it.

Graphic images of the decimated ray were shared online, where many guessed the amateur fisher had just split the catch with a bull shark, which are known to frequent local waters.

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Poring over the pictures, Murdoch University’s Adrian Gleiss leaned towards that being the correct theory.

“It’s very difficult to say but most likely is a bull shark,” he told 7NEWS.com.au, adding “I wouldn’t rule out a bronze whaler”.

A marine expert believes a bull shark is most likely to have attacked this ray. Credit: Liam Kenny
Liam Kenny described it as “easily the craziest thing I’ve seen”. Credit: Liam Kenny

Based on the bite marks on the ray carcass, Dr Gleiss suggested the shark could have been up to 2m in length.

“An eagle ray would have been a great little meal for it,” he said.

Balga bricklayer Kenny described it as “easily the craziest thing I’ve seen”.

He had initially feared for his gear after realising he had hooked onto the ray, saying his basic equipment was more suited to smaller fish.

Kenny let his line run, until he realised it had stopped. That’s when he pulled in his dead catch.

Dr Adrian Gleiss, pictured here with a bull shark, said it was likely a shark up to 2m in length had feasted on the ray. Credit: Supplied/Dr Adrian Gleiss

He believed a bull shark had filled up on the ray before leaving the scraps to him.

He took some snaps of the remains and shared them online with the caption: “River monsters are real”.

“If that ray is 1m as stated, those bites are massive,” one person commented in response.

“I would not like to run into that thing in the water, that’s for sure.”

Another person estimated a “good 2m shark” was behind the huge bite marks.

“Don’t think I’ll be scooping around there anymore,” they said.

Swan River shark enclosure

The pictures emerged as Swan River bull shark survivor Cameron Wrathall spoke on his discussions with the City of Melville about the potential for a protective net to be installed.

“It would just be enclosing an area a bit like the barriers they have on the coast, and that would make it a safer area for swimmers,” he said.

Wrathall suffered a broken hip and critical injuries when he was mauled by a 3m bull shark as he swam at Bicton’s Blackwall Reach on January 14, 2021.

It was the first attack in the river in 50 years.

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