Outcast Sport Fishing, a charter fishing service out of Hilton Head, South Carolina, made a huge catch on a December 14 trip.
The crew, led by Captain Chip Michalove, hooked a 3,000 pound great white shark.
“It happened so fast. We were talking about what to do with her and all the sudden she ripped out 400 yards of line… She was so big I don’t think she even knew she was hooked,” said Michalove.
Unfortunately, the shark escaped the hook before Michalove and his two-person crew were able to plant an acoustic tag on her. Scientists use these tags to study shark migration patterns.
Michalove did manage to catch and tag another huge great white, almost 9.5 feet long, on the same trip. “1-2 on whites in December isn’t bad, but I’m going to get that monster,” he said.
There is some speculation that the shark might have been the famous Mary Lee, a 16-foot, 3,500-pound great white who often visits the South Carolina waters in colder months.
Mary Lee has her own Twitter feed, with tracker data, at @MaryLeeShark.
The average female great white shark usually weighs no more than 2,500 pounds, but sightings of great whites up to 5,000 pounds have been reported in the past.
