VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- Researchers fishing off our coast got more than a nibble late last week.
It was a big bite from a mature great white shark!
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science's Multispecies Research Group posted a photo Friday of the shark hooked on their longline. The great white was able to break free before the researchers could bring it on board, but it dwarfed a four-foot shark that had also been caught on the line. They estimate it was 12 to 13 feet long.
The day wasn't a total loss, however; the organization said they were able to snag 41 sharks out of 100 hooks.
VIMS uses these longline surveys to catch, tag, and release sharks to help measure their populations in the mid-Atlantic. More information on their shark-monitoring program can be found on VIMS's website.
