A terrifying square off between an alligator and shark was captured by a gobsmacked fisherman.
David Zinn was fishing with his stepfather in Florida, off the coast of Port St.Lucie, south west of Orlando, when he felt a strong pull on his line.
Zinn was shocked to find he had caught a young bull shark on his line, before he and his stepfather rushed to remove the hook from its mouth.
However, the situation turned quickly dangerous as they encountered an alligator as they approached the shark in a bid to set it free.
They said the alligator lunged at them, almost sending them both backwards into the water with the creatures.
David Zinn told 9News : “Down by the water, a five foot gator lunged at us.
“We almost fell down the rocks into the water with both of them. They took us by surprise and in the end both the gator and the shark swam away safely.”
Alligator attacks occur around seven times a year in Florida, on average – according to data from the Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Bull sharks are deemed an “aggressive species” that can range from saltwater and freshwater environments. The species are found in coastal waters all over the world.
In the United States they are found off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico and unlike most sharks, bull sharks can survive in freshwater for long periods of time. They have even been found in the Mississippi and Amazon Rivers.
In 2021, there were 28 unprovoked shark bites in Florida compared to 19 shark bites in the rest of the U.S., and 26 outside of the U.S.
Last month, a video showed at least 50 hungry sharks circling in the shallow water off the US coast.
Shared by The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, the footage was captured by their aviation team after the sea creatures were spotted just over 30 miles from Tampa.
Posting the terrifying clip on Facebook at the start of the month, the sheriff’s office warned people to be aware of the dangers of the water.
In the post, it says: “A day in the water is a fun way to beat our Florida heat, but it’s important to be aware of the dangers below the water as well as above.” The fish were circling off the coast of Anclote Island with Shark researcher Jack Morris revealing the reason why so many were seen together.
