White Shark Caught In Delaware

June 20, 2007

Release from: Associated Press

State officials have received verification that a shark caught June 2nd in the Atlantic Ocean and landed at the North Shore Marina in Delaware Seashore State Park was a white shark -- a protected species that is illegal to possess under federal law.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Fisheries Service used tissue samples from the shark to confirm the identity of species.

The 179-pound juvenile white shark was discovered during a routine compliance check on a recreational fishing boat after it docked at the North Shore Marina.

The shark was caught eight miles offshore from the Indian River Inlet. State officials said earlier this month the angler and his companions may have misidentified the shark as a mako shark.