A fisherman wowed bystanders over the weekend when he caught and released a great white shark off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Elliot Sudal is no stranger to catching and tagging big fish, including sharks, but he had never caught this species before, Good Morning America reported Thursday.
The angler and boat captain was with his younger apprentice when the shark bit his line, and the battle to reel it in was on.
Video shows the moment Sudal, along with his helpers, began reeling in the creature that he said was nearly nine-feet long and about 300 pounds. Once they got the shark onto the beach, Sudal grabbed it and quickly removed the fishing hook.
“I mean it was just crazy. I mean, I was like hugging it,” he recalled:
Sudal noted that it was critical he get the shark back into the water quickly because as a responsible fisherman, he knows they are an endangered species.
Another clip showed him removing the hook and even placing his hand near the shark’s mouth before dragging it back into the ocean.
“Wow! That’s sick!” one person behind the camera exclaimed while watching Sudal work:
The fisherman said, “Like, generally, I tag them so we can track them or take a blood sample. But with a shark like this, it’s, you know, catch, release,” adding, “I’m just really, really glad that it just went smoothly and perfectly. We were able to get her back [into the deeper water], and the shark was safe.”
According to the NOAA Fisheries website, great white sharks are apex predators that are at the top of the food chain.
“The white shark is a prohibited species (no retention allowed) in most U.S. waters and fisheries. There are no commercial fisheries for white sharks, but they are occasionally caught as bycatch,” the site read. “This is a prohibited species. White sharks are occasionally caught by recreational and commercial fishermen but must be released immediately.”
