Divernet News, dateline 24 May 2003
Underwater researcher speared by swordfish
Whale researcher Mark Ferrari found himself on the wrong end a 5m-long broadbill swordfish which was trying to escape an attack by a pod of 'false killer whale' dolphins off the coast of West Maui, Hawaii.
52-year-old Ferrari was following and filming the pod of pseudorca crassidens dolphins as they hunted and began to attack a large fish. As he videoed the teamwork of the hunting dolphins, their prey, which turned out to be a large broadbill swordfish, broke away and speared him close to the collar bone before tossing him aside and making an escape. The bill, which is well over a metre long, went through his right shoulder, missing his carotid artery by a quarter of an inch. The entire incident was captured by his video
camera.
Fortunately Ferrari was close to his research vessel and could be helped aboard by his wife Debbie, who is also his research partner. Surgeons at Wailuke Medical Centre worked on his damaged shoulder and declared him 'lucky to be alive'. He suffered serious nerve and tissue damage, and broken bones, but has since recovered some feeling in the area and is able to use his right arm. If his carotid artery had been severed he would almost certainly have bled to death.
The Ferraris are determined to continue their research on humpback whales, which has been ongoing since 1975, and have so far refused lucrative offers from US TV stations to air the film of the attack. They intend to keep the footage for a scientific study on the behaviour of the pseudorca dolphins.