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Florida fishermen watch helplessly as sharks devour tarpon

Posted at 11:09 AM, Jun 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-19 11:13:32-04

When fishing for tarpon in Florida, sometimes you get the fish, sometimes the sharks get the fish.  A video recently posted to YouTube is proof of this.

The video, posted Friday by Clay Curtis, shows a fisherman battling a large tarpon from a fishing skiff when several sharks swoop in to attack the struggling fish.

This is a somewhat common phenomenon among tarpon fishermen.  The large fish often fight to the point of exhaustion, leaving them vulnerable to predators.

The sharks know this and often congregate in popular tarpon fishing spots, like Boca Grande Pass, which has a healthy population of hammerhead sharks.

Tarpon are a sport fish that are considered inedible, but highly prized for its combination of large size (they can easily grow over 200 pounds) and acrobatic fights.  The vast majority of caught tarpon are released.

**Warning: Some may find this video disturbing and graphic**