Two New Zealand fishermen were checking their fishing pots of the coast of New Zealand in roughly 40 feet water. For some reason as they were pulling one of their craypot’s to the surface the boat began listing to the side. The cray fisherman knew something big was on the line, however they were shocked to find a roughly six foot great white shark had become entangled in the pots rope.
George Eivers and Daniel McDonald found the shark off the coast of Havelock North between Waimarama and Bare Island. Apparently the shark had been on the line for some time, as it was already exhausted from its failed attempt to free itself from the line. As the shark was pulled up, its head was face down and may have been in a state of tonic immobility.
Related: Great white shark breaches as it attempts to free itself from entanglement
The fisherman took the event in stride, McDonald told The NZ Herald “I think we were running on adrenalin – we were laughing our heads off because we couldn’t believe what happened.”
They were able to free the shark which swam away. Great whites are protected in New Zealand, so the reported the strange occurrence to the Department of Conservation.
