A fisherman was left stunned when he reeled in a 200lb shark using just a fishing rod.
Gastón Zucco caught the copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) on 3 January.
The mammal was 8.2 feet (2.49 metres) long and weighed an estimated 187 to 198lbs (85 to 90kg).
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Gastón made his monster catch on a beach in Pozo de Alonso, near Claromecó, in Argentina.
He found the area after consulting experienced boatmen about the best spot for big game.
Accompanied by his pal Gabriel Muñoz, the fisherman set up his rod on the beach and prepared a line with a mullet fish as bait.
Gastón, who comes from the city of Tandil, cast the line over 1,017 (310 metres) into the sea with the help of a drone.
He said the conditions were ideal thanks a southerly wind and big rolling waves.
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Gastón felt a bite a short while later and battled to reel in the beast.
He fought to capture the marine animal for about an hour.
And was stunned when he reeled in a large copper shark.
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After tagging the animal and posing for snaps next to it, Gastón and Gabriel returned it to the sea.
Afterwards, Gastón said he felt “excited, tired and happy”.
A video of the catch has been viewed over 80,000 times on Facebook, as reported by What’s The Jam.
One local said: “Amazing, and the best part is they returned it to the sea.”
Marcos commented: “It’s time to stop fishing for shark species if it’s not for scientific purposes, the stress the animal suffers, plus not knowing if the hook causes injuries, makes it seem pointless to me.”
Juan wrote: “That’s the thing with fishing, you never know what you have until you bring it in.”
The Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature categorises copper sharks as vulnerable.
There are over 50 species of sharks in Argentine waters but many have become susceptible to overfishing due to their late maturity for reproduction and low numbers of offspring.
In several Argentine regions, including Buenos Aires Province, it is permitted to catch shark species such as coppers, hammerheads, and sand tigers as long as it is with a rod and they are immediately returned to the sea.
