1,000 Pound Great White Shark Caught Off The Coast Of Fort Lauderdale
It’s common to see a Great White Shark caught in Florida during the winter. They’re like water snowbirds, escaping the cold weather up north. But normally they’re found in the Gulf, not off the coast of Fort Lauderdale.
Captain J.J. Logan of Marlin My Darlin Sportfishing was on charter with a guest from New York. They were fishing for sailfish and mahis until the last hour of the charter when they spotted the Great White approaching the boat. They baited a hook, cast into the water and then spent the next several hours reeling the beast in.
All in all, they battled the shark for 2 and a half hours before they were able to collect it.
They took some pictures and video and then released it back. The Great White Shark is federally protected, so they had to release it. It’s also a good idea to have the release on video in case you’re questioned. Here’s another video of the catch.
The shark was male and estimated to be 13 feet long and over 1,000 pounds. That’s essentially the weight of a concert grand piano. Or 7 kegs of beer, however you choose your unit of measurement. Logan told WSVN ““It’s pretty much the coolest thing you’ll ever see off the coast here. It’s the rarest fish you’ll ever see in your life, and to catch one in a lifetime is pretty remarkable.”
With the extreme cold weather up north, it’s normal for so many sharks to migrate down to Florida. Just not usually around Fort Lauderdale. Southwest Florida and the Keys much more so. If you’re on Fort Myers Beach and you wade out into chest deep water – yeah there’s sharks. I never really knew how many until I flew ‘low and slow’ in a seaplane over the gulf. You can see all the little black specks in the water. Those are sharks.
As for this Great White Shark caught off Fort Lauderdale, this happened two miles offshore.
That’s far away from the beaches. Really, it’s too cold this weekend to go swimming, anyway. Tomorrow’s high is only 65 degrees. Here’s some better ideas.