Great white shark caught off New Jersey's Seaside Heights Pier, released by fishermen
Dan RadelA party of sport fisherman off the coast of Seaside Heights Pier in New Jersey caught and released a great white shark, or simply a white shark, on Sunday.
The boat, Reel Innovation Sportfishing, which docks in Harvey Cedars, was about a mile of the coast when the catch occurred, said Paul Kaufman at Fishermen's Headquarters in Ship Bottom. The shop was first to report the catch of one of the ocean's apex predators.
The captain of the boat Jeff Warford said they were fishing for thresher sharks, a legal game shark pursued by fishermen for its meat and fighting ability, when the white shark was hooked by accident. They were in 50 feet of water.
"Typically the only shark that you would catch this time of year in this close would be a thresher shark. They're following the bunker schools inshore," said Warford.
The white shark was a juvenile, which measured about 7 feet. Once hooked, it charged the boat and took about 20 minutes for the fishermen to get to the side of the boat where it was quickly released.
When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.