BOYNTON BEACH, FL -- A local group of divers got quite the surprise when they saw and recovered a huge fishing net which contained a dead shark and another fish. It was identified as a gill net and was found in approximately 25 feet of water off Boynton Beach late Sunday afternoon.
On the return trip to the dock the boat spotted debris floating on the surface. Upon closer inspection the debris was caught or anchored to the bottom. One of the divers suited up and dove in to see if there were any identifying marks for the owner of the debris.
"Once on the surface I could see at least one shark and several fish entangled in the net. I went back to the boat for my camera then descended to cut loose any dead or injured marine life," says Elaine Blum.
The net was caught on debris on the bottom which turned out to be a discarded patio table. Once it was was freed from the table it continued to drift.
"In order to prevent additional needless deaths I attached one liftbag to the mass. This would not lift it to the surface properly. I boarded the boat and returned with 2 additional liftbags and was able to successfully float the mass of floating death net," says Blum.
Crew members and divers pulled the net on the boat before heading back to the dock. The local fisherman estimate the net at having a cost of at least $1000 and was designed to not be seen. The fisherman indicate that it could be from boats outside the Boynton area since they are illegal.
Divers indicated the net did not have many dead animals in it so they assumed it must not have been drifting for to long. It didn't have any deep water barnacles on it either.
Environmental groups and the FWC were contacted as well.
