8-foot hammerhead shark caught and released on American Beach

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. – A crowd of onlookers watched Saturday at American Beach on Amelia Island as a group of fishermen reeled in and then released an 8-foot hammerhead shark.

Sharon Bunch Skipper captured the catch on Facebook Live.

“Never, in all my life living in Florida I have never seen one that big,” she said.

The fishermen can be seen reeling the large shark into the shallow surf on the beach, pulling out a long tape measure to gauge their haul and then unhooking the shark to release it to the ocean.

Some of those watching stepped up for a quick photo with the shark before it was released.

“That is a big hammerhead,” one child said as the trio of fishermen dragged the shark safely back into the ocean to the cheers of onlookers.

Sharks are very common off the Atlantic Coast all year round, but on Saturday, people got a chance to see one up close and personal.


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