See it: Fisherman wrangles fishing hook out of great white shark's mouth off Nantucket
The fisherman told local media that he unhooked and released the shark quickly after taking a lot of time to reel it in.
Watch: Fisherman reels in great white shark off Nantucket
A fisherman accidentally hooked a great white shark while fishing off Nantucket on Sunday. Once he reeled the shark in, he hopped on its back to remove the fishing hook from its mouth, and set it back out to sea.
NANTUCKET, Mass.– Beachgoers relaxing on the beach of Nantucket witnessed a fisherman jump into action to remove a hook from a great white shark's mouth after accidentally catching him while fishing.
On Sunday, video was taken of the moment the fisherman walked out into the shallow surf and grabbed the white shark by its tail, dragging it out of the water partially.
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The fisherman pulls the shark into shallow water.
(@bryner_oliveira / Instagram via Storyful / FOX Weather)
He quickly jumped onto the shark's back, straddling it, as onlookers watched the encounter.
The recorder of the video, Bryner de Oliveira Damasceno, said people were "amazed" by the shark's size.
The fisherman told local media that he was "excited and stressed" during the incident, and he estimated that the shark was more than 8.5 feet long and weighed around 300 pounds.
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Someone behind the fisherman handed him a pair of pliers, as he reached around the shark's fins to remove a hook from its mouth.
The fisherman removes the hook from the great white shark's mouth.
(@bryner_oliveira / Instagram via Storyful / FOX Weather)
"It's a little great white," someone in the background of the video said.
"Wow, that's sick," someone else said.
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The fisherman told local media that he unhooked and released the shark quickly after taking a lot of time to reel it in.
The fisherman grabs the shark's tail so he can straddle it to remove the hook.
(@bryner_oliveira / Instagram via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Oliveira Damasceno told Storyful that the fisherman took "about 40 minutes to remove the shark from the sea."
In one portion of the video, the fisherman is seen grabbing the shark's snout and opening his mouth wider so he could remove the hook.
The fisherman holds open the shark's mouth to get the hook out.
(@bryner_oliveira / Instagram via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Once out, the fisherman hopped off the shark and grabbed his tail again, dragging him back into the ocean.
According to NOAA Fisheries, the white shark is a prohibited species, meaning it can't be caught and retained.
The fisherman told local media he wasn't trying to target the white shark.
The fisherman pulls the white shark back out to sea.
(@bryner_oliveira / Instagram via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Great white sharks are commonly seen off Cape Cod, along with other shark species like dusky sharks.
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White sharks exist all across the eastern seaboard, from Florida all the way up into Canada.