Florida Atlantic University student Viktor Hluben is part of a team that catches sharks for sport and returns them to the sea... but all his experience hadn't quite prepared him for the harrowing struggle that occurred last week, when he hooked an eleven-foot hammerhead shark off the shores of Broward County, Florida.
Photo: Team Rebel Fishing
In an epic battle lasting nearly an hour and a half, the giant predator dragged Hluben's tiny kayak far out to sea, from a depth of 50 feet to over 250 feet.
Photo: Team Rebel Fishing
“It was extremely exciting, an adrenaline rush," Hluben told the Sun-Sentinel. “It's two apex predators going at it.”
Once he was finally able to return to the beach, the team moved in to cut the line and free the shark; their only “trophy” is this video of the tense battle.
“We are all about releasing them,” Hluben says. “The only thing running through my mind is as soon as the shark lands on the beach [is] we've got to be diligent and get it back into the water fast.”
An Australian swimmer recently had his own incredibly close call with a massive shark, as shown in this terrifying clip...