A hammerhead shark washed up dead early Tuesday on Wiggins Pass Beach in North Naples. Randy Woolf told Gulf Coast News he discovered the shark around 6:30 a.m. and noted what appeared to be a fishing hook lodged in its mouth.
“Oh my god, that is insane. That’s really cool to see it in the wild. It’s also sad because I want it to be flourishing out in the ocean," said Lucas Alpers, a beachgoer near the spot where it was found.
“Just kind of sad how just a free animal, just living in the ocean, ends up on the shore like that,” said Logan McCash, another beachgoer.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says hammerhead sharks — particularly the great hammerhead — are commonly found in warm, subtropical waters like those along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Despite their size and striking appearance, hammerheads are not typically aggressive unless provoked.
The species is critically endangered due to overfishing. Florida banned the harvesting of great, scalloped, and smooth hammerheads in 2012 to protect their dwindling populations.
Hammerheads can grow up to 20 feet long, use their unique 360-degree vision to hunt, and usually travel in groups. They feed on stingrays, squid, and other small marine creatures.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission was unaware of the death. Park staff removed the animal Wednesday morning.