POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Quite the big fish tale is circulating in Pompano Beach after beachgoers found an 11-foot hammerhead shark on the shore.
The beached shark drew a crowd at the beach on Wednesday morning.
Joan Florenzano showed up to see the lifeless marine predator firsthand.
“So we started off posting on Facebook and saying that there was a shark that was found dead on the beach,” said Florenzano. “I came to see because I’ve never seen a shark up that close live, and everybody was just like taking pictures with her.”
The shark was pregnant with around 24 babies.
“Not only did she not survive, but none of her babies survived, which is terribly sad,” said Florenzano.
While the onshore spectacle was getting quite the attention, several questions remain as to who caught the shark and why it was not released back into the water.
Florenzano described what appeared to be a hook that she saw in the shark’s mouth.
“It looked like it was like about this big. It was really large in her mouth.”
Marine biologists at the beach said the shark was just before adulthood.
It remains unclear whether or not hammerhead sharks are part of Florida’s endangered species list.
The shark was later buried, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission continues its investigation.
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