Incredible moment Hammerhead shark snatches 180lb fish out of fisherman’s hands as he tries to land it off the Florida coast
- Rob Gorta is a fishing guide who dedicates two months of the year to Tarpon
- He captures the moment a hammerhead shark bursts out of the water in Florida
- The shark takes an Atlantic Tarpon fish out of Mr Gorta’s hands as he unhooks it
A fishing guide captured the moment a shark attacked a 180lb fish while it was attached to his hook.
Rob Gorta, a fishing guide who works between Tampa in Florida and St Petersburg, Russia, filmed as a hammerhead shark tried to take his catch while he was fishing off the coast of Anna Maria Island, Florida.
Tarpon fishing is a popular sport which uses live fish as bait to try to catch Atlantic Tarpon – athletic fish that can jump up to 15ft in the air and weigh up to 200lbs.
Rob Gorta, a fishing guide who works between Tampa in Florida and St Petersburg, Russia, films as a hammerhead shark tried to take his catch
Using a waterproof camera Mr Gorta captures the moment a hammerhead shark tries to snatch the Tarpon out of his hands as he is unhooking it
Mr Gorta dedicates two months out of the year solely to Tarpon fishing and says he has witnessed a few shark attacks.
Using a waterproof camera Mr Gorta captures the moment a hammerhead shark tries to snatch the Tarpon out of his hands as he is unhooking it.
‘He just took it out of my hands,’ he says to his fishing partner after the shark grabs at the Tarpon.
An intense tug-of-war ensues as Mr Gorta battles to release the fish from his hook before the shark grabs at its meal for a second time.
Tarpon are not meant for eating and are mainly hunted just for the sport of trying to catch one. Tarpon over 40 inches in length cannot be lifted out of the water, according to Florida law.
An intense tug-of-war ensues as Mr Gorta battles to release the fish from his hook before the shark grabs at its meal for a second time
So when the shark comes close to the boat and tries to get to the Tarpon Mr Gorta has no choice but to unhook the shark’s prey.
‘I have to unhook it I guess that’s all I can do,’ Mr Gorta, who has been a fishing guide for more than 22 years, says.
‘There is also no way to lift a 180lb fish in to a 22ft Skeeter Bay boat,’ Mr Gorta later wrote in a post alongside the video.
The shark grapples with the Tarpon as it tries to get away through the water
Fish scales can be seen floating around the water when Mr Gorta submerges his camera to take a look around.
‘I really felt bad for the fish, you know. They are an amazing fish, and I make a good living off of them,’ Mr Gorta told WFTS. ‘There’s nothing I could really do to save that fish.’
The shark grapples with the Tarpon as it tries to get away through the water. Eventually the fish seems to have been beaten as it floats helplessly and the shark makes away with its meal.