Guy Pulls Shark Ashore for Pictures

Holds it down in Palm Beach as it thrashes around
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2016 1:03 PM CST

A man was captured on video in Palm Beach, Florida, pulling a shark out of the water and holding it down so he could be photographed with it. WPTV reporter Ashleigh Walters posted video of the incident on Facebook, noting that passersby put the shark back into the water after the video ends. The Orlando Sentinel reports that it's not clear what type of shark this was, but adds that thousands of blacktip sharks are in the area because of a winter migration.

"Let's pose while a creature who lives in water feels like it is drowning in our air... I am sorry, I feel this is cruel," reads one comment on the Facebook video. But others argued that the "catch and release" was perfectly legal, or noted that no one would be complaining if the shark was caught and killed by a fisherman. Patch notes that the shark does appear to have been captured originally by a "hook and line," so a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rep says it's unlikely any laws were broken. But, he notes, "removing a shark entirely from the water could cause damage to its internal organs." (A baby dolphin recently died after a similar incident.)

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