Rare 200lb shark caught near Weymouth
The Weymouth fishermen thought it was a Tope and then got a surprise
Fishermen have caught and released a rare Thresher Shark off the coast of Weymouth.
The species usually steer away from coastal regions and prefer to stick to deeper waters.
They're also not common around Dorset.
The fisherman who caught it, Max Bryden, told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"Everyone was saying 'Oh it's a good tope' and then 30 seconds later we see it jump out of the water about 50 meters from the back of the boat.
"It was about 150-200lbs, so much bigger than we anticipated."
"Luck was in my favour and it was well-hooked. It was hooked just in the side of the mouth and it could only bite the metal of the hook. If it was any further up it would have bit me off."
After about an hour of battling with the shark, Max eventually managed to reel it in to get a good look.
Thresher sharks are easily recognised by their long tail fin which resembles a scythe.
They use it like a whip to stun their prey before eating them. They can grown up to 450cm long and weigh as much as 340kg.
They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.
The group of anglers decided not to bring the fish aboard because it could have damaged it's lungs. Instead they decided to admire it in the water and let it go.
Max added:
"It's one of those things where as soon as we released it, it's like 'did that just happen?'
"It was just amazing really to see it up that close, a creature like that."