Nantucket Fisherman Catches 9-Foot Great White Shark Bare-Handed

There is badass, and then there is Elliot Sudal, the Massachusetts fisherman who hauled in a reported 9-foot, 300-pound great white shark with his bare hands before releasing the beast back to the ocean.

This mighty fish tale played out off Nantucket on Sunday, June 7, 2026, as Sudal and a teenage apprentice were angling and tracking sharks on a beach on the south shore of the island.

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Historical First on the Nantucket Surf

ABC's Good Morning America reported, "Shark angler and boat captain Elliot Sudal told ABC News he has been fishing in the waters off Nantucket for over 10 years and has caught and tagged many different sharks before, including sandbar sharks, sand tigers and dusky sharks, but never a great white shark."

Sudal told the Nantucket Current, "That was the first white I've hooked in 13 years on Nantucket."

Massachusetts Man Catches Great White Shark With His Bare Hands — Getty Images

A Quick and Safe Release for an Endangered Species

When Sudal realized he'd hooked an endangered species, he mounted the creature, removed the hook, and set it free.

"By no means was targeting that white, you can't control what picks up your bait," Sudal told the Current. "Shark was in the surf, removed the hook and sent her back to sea in about 15 seconds."

"Saw the pectoral spotted fin flash in a wave and just focused," Sudal said, noting he "understood the gravity of the situation and had to get her released safely and quickly."

What Beachgoers Can Expect From Great White Season This July

For lovers of great whites, and even those who have seen the film Jaws and are petrified to get into the ocean, July is a big month for great white sharks off the Massachusetts coast.