A great big catch


It was like a scene from Jaws, only this time it was real...and bigger!

Shark catch

Like Jaws...only bigger! Image:ABC News

Two Mexican fishermen caught a lot more than they bargained for when they landed a great white shark. But the shock was in the word "Great" - this one was nearly 20 feet (6 metres) long and weighed in at a staggering 2,000 pounds (907kg).

Sadly for the fish, but perhaps luckily for the fishermen, the giant killing machine was dead by the time it was brought to the surface off the coast of North West Mexico.  However, it still provided quite a shock for the guys that landed it.

Once they had got over the shock, the team were then faced with the challenge of what to do with the carcass.  In the end, they decided to drag it the two miles to harbour, but  being in only a small boat with a single outboard engine, they needed a tow themselves. On arrival it took more than 50 people to lift the fish onto dry land for an impromptu photocall.

If the size of the catch can be verified, it will be one of the longest specimens ever recorded