THIS is the jaw-dropping moment a massive shark was accidentally caught by fisherman in Spain.
The 22ft beast was hauled out of the water in the country’s north-eastern Catalonia region.
Basking sharks are listed as a protected species by authorities.
It meant the startled fisherman had to alert the area’s marine life foundation – CRAM – once he realised what he had caught.
He brought it ashore to Port de la Selva – about two hours drive northeast of Barcelona – where experts found out it was a female shark.
CRAM made clear the capture was accidental and that the fisherman had “immediately” alerted them.
A video showing the heart-stopping moment it reached dry land has been shared widely on social media.
The clip, seen more than 150,000 times on X, shows onlookers crowded around the vast creature as it is brought to shore.
What appears to be a fishing net can be seen tangled around the shark’s tail fins.
The shark had entered the fisherman’s net and got “coiled tighter” as it tried to escape, sources told Europa Press.
It was dead by the time it reached port.
The fisherman had followed all protocols, the source added.
CRAM researchers have taken samples from the shark to find out more about her.
Basking sharks are the second largest type of fish in the world – and the largest found in the Mediterranean Sea.
The whopping creatures can often be spotted swimming around the coast of England.
Despite their huge size and intimidating wide mouth, basking sharks are not aggressive towards humans and mostly feed off plankton.
In North Carolina, a recent incident involved a group of fishermen having to struggle to return a great white shark back into the water. The fishermen had to grapple with the massive shark to ensure its safe release.
It took them 35 minutes after catching the beast before they were able to release it.
One of the fishermen who filmed the encounter described it as a surreal experience to witness a giant 12 to 13-foot, 1,400 to 1,800-pound animal leaping out of the water due to being hooked.
“There have been a few great whites caught in North Carolina. None of them have been as big as that one.”
Great white sharks are considerably more dangerous to humans than basking sharks despite their smaller size.
However, the chances of being seriously hurt in a shark attack are low.
Just 47 people being injured in unprovoked shark attacks in 2024, the lowest level in nearly 30 years.
Basking shark facts
