Fishermen Catch Great White Shark Off Florida Coast [Video]

Fishermen caught a great white shark off the coast of Florida. The men cannot be accused of telling tall tales as the catch was recorded on video.

The Canadian men rented a charter for a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of St Petersburg, Florida. Fab Marchese hoped to catch a big fish but never expected to reel in a great white shark.

As reported by USA Today, the group had been on the boat for several hours when they realized they had a shark on the line. One of the fishermen took out his phone and recorded the scene as they recognized the shark as a great white.

Marchese states that he had to struggle with the massive shark as it dragged the boat several miles. It reportedly took the men nearly four hours to reel it in.

The men eventually released the shark as they are a protected species. Florida law specifies that great white sharks must be released if caught.

Great white sharks are seldom seen in Florida. It took researchers days to locate a great white to tag for research earlier this month. The 2000 pound shark they eventually captured will help scientists record data that will further their knowledge of shark biology. As reported by CBS, the OCEARCH organization collected samples before they tagged the 14 foot shark and released it.

Although sharks have been spotted off the Florida coast, the likelihood of an attack is rare. Unprovoked great white shark attacks are especially rare but are more likely to occur along the west coast of the US. Between 1916 and 2011 there were under 100 great white shark attacks along the west coast and only 9 of those attacks were fatal.

As reported by the University of Florida in cooperation with the Florida Museum of Natural History, the east coast has only seen nine great white shark attacks in the last 95 years. Only four of those attacks were fatal.

Although many people fear the great white shark, Florida has not recorded any great white shark attacks in the last 95 years. Most attacks in Florida involve bull or tiger sharks.

It is exceptionally rare for fishermen to catch a great white shark of the coast of Florida. The captain and the men are happy they captured the event on video. They are also thankful for the memories and the ultimate story about catching a big fish.

[Image via fotopedia]