Ironically it is "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel, and South Jersey gets a shark sighting Wednesday night in Ocean City.

NBC 40 reports that the shark that was caught by a kayaker about 200 yards off the shore at the 58th Street Beach in Ocean City turns out to be a Sand Tiger Shark.

Sand Tiger Sharks are believed to be caught mainly in nets, and then either strangled or taken by fishermen.  The Press of Atlantic City reports the fisherman in question usually catches smaller brown sharks, and that this 6-foot shark catch is one of the biggest he has ever snagged.

The Sand Tiger is often associated with being vicious or deadly, due to their relatively large size and sharp, protruding teeth that point outward from their jaws, however they are often quite docile and aren't usually a threat to humans.  This may have been the reason why the shark was released and sent back into the ocean.

 

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