The photo of the mako shark is simply incredible. 11.5 feet and weighing more than 360 kg, the animal is a behemoth. It was caught during Easter weekend somewhere in Florida in the United States and is now making the rounds around the world.
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A dangerous struggle
Joey Polk, a 29-year-old American, took on the beast. An experienced fisherman, he had to use a line over 2,600 feet long to catch the shark. He even had to call for help to subdue the animal. His two cousins, Earnie Polk, 43, and Kenny Peterson, 21, gave him the support he needed.
Today, the three men are very proud of their catch and for good reason, it is quite simply the largest shark ever caught from dry land. It should be noted that this is not the first time they have caught a shark, as the previous record was held by one of them, Earnie. The fight lasted about 1.5 hours, at the end of which the shark was far too tired to return to the ocean. Once dead, the Polks barbecued it, to the anger of internet users.
A heated debate
Since then, the Polks have faced an outcry over their fishing trip, USA Today reports. Internet users are raging against their ‘cruelty,’ as one user, nicknamed dt089, argues:
What are they proud of? The fact that they are helping to wipe out sharks?
Others explain that the Polk family has a history of releasing their catches and that they are involved with local charities to help tag sharks in order to preserve them.
But for internet users, this commitment does not excuse the fact that he killed the animal. Olivo said:
I'm not a shark lover, but if you're trying to preserve sharks, you shouldn't play games where they might die.
The debate continues to rage on, but breaking the previous record has nonetheless been confirmed.
