Jake Gruse made what local media described as a "catch of a lifetime" when he had an unexpected run in with one of the deadliest aquatic predators.
Gruse and his friends were sailing about 30 miles off the coast of Tampa Bay celebrating his 27th birthday when a huge mako shark approached their boat. The shark was attracted by the smell of blood from fish the men had previously caught and were making sushi with.
The size of the shark and the way it emerged from the depths looked somewhat similar to the iconic scene from Steven Spielberg’s classic Jaws.
The fishermen immediately threw a line to the shark but, after a battle that lasted several minutes, ultimately decided to let the creature go.
"This was the greatest most adrenaline pumping moment that I ever had in fishing. It was a great start to my 27th Birthday!" Gruse wrote on his Facebook page.
