Octagon logo found on the tail the shark
A shark attacked Sawyer and Michael in episode "Adrift". This shark had a distinct DHARMA initiative logo on its tail. Also, according to Juliet in "A Tale of Two Cities", the DHARMA Initiative experimented on sharks and dolphins in the area that Jack is imprisoned in, the Hydra. There have also been references to sharks in the Lost Experience.
The attack
When Sawyer and Michael were drifting in the ocean on pieces of wreckage after the destruction of the second raft, the two men heard pounding on the remains of the raft. After seeing a distinctive fin they quickly realized they were being followed by a shark, possibly attracted by Sawyer's bleeding. When the men later decided to board one of the raft's remaining pontoons, the shark attacked. Michael however fired Sawyer's gun several times and was able to injure the beast, which quickly broke off its attack.
DHARMA Initiative logo
Unknown logo
At one moment, a glimpse of the shark's tail underwater was seen. The Shark had an unknown DHARMA logo on its tail, indicating a connection to the DHARMA initiative. In the Swan Orientation Film, one of the topics listed as being studied through the DHARMA Initiative is zoology, which may account for the shark.
Controversy
Initially there was controversy about the DHARMA logo on the shark's tail. It was rumored to have been put on the shark by the graphical department without sanction from the production team. However, in the bonus material on the Lost season 2 DVD ("Lost on Location" featurette for "Adrift") the production team have confirmed that the appearance of the logo on the shark was in fact intentional, just not intended to visible that easily.
Sharks in the Hydra
Juliet mentioned to Jack that the room in which he is imprisoned was used for sharks and dolphins. It contains chains and a crude 'operating' table. It is part of an aquarium.
Sharks in the LOST experience
A close-up of the shark carcass, featured on DJ Dan's site
A close-up of the shark carcass, discovered on the Hanso Foundation's site
The DJ Dan conspiracy site has a photograph of a shark carcass allegedly found off Australia's Great Barrier Reef. A DHARMA logo is pictured on the tail of the shark carcass. It is The Swan Logo. DJ Dan's podcast of June 8 indicates that the shark was discovered by a listener, who took the photograph and sent it to him.
In the clues released by the hacker Persephone on June 7 another shark carcass was seen. Accessed via the Institute for Genomic Advancement page on the The Hanso Foundation website (now offline), the clues consisted of several pictures of a tropical forest and a beach. On this beach a shark was visible. On close-up this shark was branded with the Swan logo as well.
Other References
- Walt mentioned on the Island that "...[they could] be eaten by a shark."
- Note 12 of the blast door map notations says "Carcharodon carcharias selective breeding facility?". Carcharodon carcharias is the Latin name for the Great White Shark. See Season 2 DVD full map image on the blast door map page, in the 12 o’clock position.
- In the "Lost on Location" featurette for "Adrift" on the LOST Season 2 DVD, it is said that in the special features section the creators of the shark model stamped on a Dharma logo as an 'inside joke'. It was meant to be only for the creative team and a small number of very observing fans, but the shot was mistimed and the logo was much more clearly visible than originally intended.
- Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse on the Official Lost Podcast in response to a fan question named the Dharma shark "Ezra James Sharkington", to which Cuse started telling Lindelof that he had "jumped the shark". Lindelof later joked that Bai Ling gave the shark it's Dharma 'tattoo'
External links
- Honolulu Star-Bulletin Article includes a photo of the shark prop in storage at Hawaii Film Studio
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