Fishermen Catch Largest Blue Shark Ever Captured In British Waters
Four fishermen reportedly snagged the largest blue shark ever caught in British waters. The shark weighed 256 pounds — significantly larger than the previous record held by a shark that weighed 216 pounds. The group broke a 58-year-long record with their huge catch Tuesday, Metro reported Tuesday.
Amateur angler John Dine captured the nine-foot shark while fishing with three friends on the coast of Penzance in Cornwall. It reportedly took an hour for Dine to reel the shark in before the group measured its length and weighed it.
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The friends, who hailed from Essex, held up and posed with the massive shark for a photo. They returned the shark to the water after they snapped the picture. Officials will reportedly award the group a "catch and release" record at the Angling Club of Great Britain as soon as next month.
Four fishermen captured the largest shark ever caught in British waters Aug. 1, 2017 Photo: BNPS
Skipper Robin Chapman talked about the huge catch, noting that the friends were instantly sure they caught a big one.
"As soon as they hooked the shark up we knew it was big," Chapman told Metro. "It went off like an absolute steam train.”
Chapman explained the time it took to secure the blue shark. The crew reportedly spotted the shark miles away as it circled their vessel.
"After 40 minutes of hard battling with this giant, we finally got the first sighting," Chapman said. "We saw the fish from the bow as it circled the boat once before going off on another surging run straight back to the ocean’s depths."
Chapman recalled the struggle with the shark, as it swam back and forth a few times before they hooked it. They eventually pulled it aboard the vessel.
"I told John to remember what he saw because if he lost it nobody would believe him," Chapman said. "The fish repeated this five or six times but luckily the wire and hook held fast, enabling them to haul it on board."
The blue shark, categorized as the "Prionace glauca," is reportedly the most prolific shark on the planet, according to Sharks-World. The term "glauca" is derived from the latin word Latin meaning "blue-grey" or "green."
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"The aerodynamic shape and lightness of the blue shark body allow it to move 'elegantly' across the oceans," the website read. "It exhibits countershading like many other sharks. The upper part is an indigo blue tone while the ventral and the sides are white."
The blue shark reportedly lives in temperate, tropical and subtropical waters. It typically approaches shores, where divers and fishermen usually station themselves.
"The blue shark surrounds its prey before attacking it,” the website read. "When needed it joins with other sharks of the same species and cooperates to attack larger prey and facilitate their capture. Its swimming speed and its triangular teeth help this shark tearing the skin and flesh of the most complicated animals."
The blue shark, a meat-eater, feeds on 24 types of prey that includes squid, octopus, mackerel, tunas, lobsters, crabs, small sharks and even seabirds. It generally seeks small prey but is satisfied with larger prey too.
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