Disturbing Shark Dragging Video Leads To FWC Investigation
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Video of a shark, tied to a boat, and dragged-to-death, is angering tens of thousands of people on social media and has caught the attention of state investigators.
The video appears to show a shark, tied by its tail, dragged by a speeding boat. The image then moves to show three men on that boat, laughing as they look back at the shark.
"When I first saw it I almost, like, threw up. It was so horrifying," said the South Florida shark hunter known as Mark The Shark. He claims a social media admirer sent him the video looking for praise.
"They said 'Oh, this is pretty cool, look what we did to the shark' and I go 'Are you kidding me man?' and that's when I instantly reposted it and that's when all the feedback started coming out. All the people started going crazy and it went viral."
More than 40,000 people have seen the video of the shark violently flopping around, popping above and below of the surface of the water. At one point a man on the boat is heard mocking the dying animal.
"Look, it's already almost dead," he's heard saying while pointing at the shark.
Adding insult to injury, Mark The Shark says he was later sent a picture of the dead shark's mangled carcass, held up like a trophy catch.
He says he notified the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and FWC confirms officers are working the case.
"To drag a shark by the tail on a rope, it's not sporting. It's not. It should be against the law," said Mark the Shark.
Right now FWC says it's investigating.
FWC officers tell CBS4 News they're taking this very seriously and looking into whether any laws were broken.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or Tip@MyFWC.com. Individuals can remain anonymous.