Shocking video shows a Hammerhead shark being pulled to shore on Singer Island.
Leigh Cobb captured the video and said it was difficult to watch.
She said she was on a boat when she saw a large crowd on the shore when got closer that's when she saw a hooked shark.
"My adrenaline started and my disgust started," she said.
Cobb tags and tracks sharks and when she saw the large crowd gathered around the Hammerhead she knew something was wrong.
"You know on a public beach, 9:30 in the morning we are seeing a shark blood baited to come close to the water and then drag it onto the beach," she recalled. "It was just I couldn't believe what I was seeing."
She told me she's disappointed that the shark was hooked and dragged to the shore. She said minutes later they started to put the shark back in the water, but not before taking pictures and videos with it.
"This shark was about five meters long," Cobb said. "That's scary for some people."
Florida Fish and Wildlife has Hammerheads listed under sharks you can not fish for. A spokesperson for FWC says if you see suspicious behavior you should contact their 24 hour hotline to report it.
Shark fishing is legal in Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends the following tips for smart handling and release of sharks:
- Keep sharks, especially the gills, in the water.
- NEVER bring a large shark onto a fishing vessel, a pier or bridge or onto dry land beyond the surf zone unless you plan to harvest it.
- Minimize handling and release time and do not delay release just to take pictures.
- Do not sit on the shark’s back or pull back on the snout to reveal the teeth.
