2016 in Review: Sharks, Dolphins And Big Fish Tales

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Marylanders love the water, from sailing to catching crabs to spotting sharks, and dolphins in the waters of Chesapeake Bay. And so do Patch readers. From the shark caught by a Bel Air man near Ocean City, given a big hug for a photo opp and then released, to a pod of dolphins that drew crowds, these stories touched readers in 2016.

Fisherman Hugs Live Shark After Catching It (VIDEO)

A Maryland fisherman made waves online with a video of his catch. Zane Rutt, 21, of Bel Air, caught a shark near Ocean City, picked it up out of the water, released it and picked it up again for a photo op. His friend captured it on video, which Rutt posted Aug. 8 to Instagram.

Since then, more than 34,000 people have viewed the video, and the reaction has not always been positive.
"I'm very surprised that so many people have viewed this," Rutt told Patch. "I never would have guessed it would have received this much attention and hate."

Once the shark was on the line, Rutt removed the circle hook from its mouth and flipped it onto its back, something called "tonic immobility" when an animal "plays dead" because it is safer to freeze than to fight a predator. After that, Ocean City lawmakers banned shark fishing from the beach after people — including children — were releasing sharks close to shore in areas where people tend to swim and posing for selfies with the animals, according to The Dispatch.

Great White Shark Released By Fishing Crew: Fish Tale

A 7-foot-long great white shark – a baby in shark circles – was caught and released in June by a fishing boat offshore from Ocean City. Crew members with Over-Board Fishing of Ocean City say the shark was caught about 11 miles off the coast. They estimate the immature shark weighed 150 pounds.

John French, a deckhand on the boat the Over-Board, told Patch the shark was identified boatside and released after a few photos. The shark was caught on a mackerel while the boat was fishing for thresher sharks. While it was the first time French has landed a great white, it’s the second such encounter for captain Dustin Lorah.

»Photo of great white shark used with permission of John French with Over-Board Fishing

'So Cool!' Dolphins Visiting Maryland Waters

Much like Marylanders head to the beach in the summer, the warmer water drew pods of bottlenose dolphins to the waters around Annapolis and Ocean City in July. Boaters shared footage on YouTube of the mammals frolicking in the Severn River, as well as off the coast near Ocean City. This sailboat passenger captured dolphins at play near where the Rhode River and West River come together.

On July 8, the Maryland Natural Resources Police shared a video on Facebook of dolphins swimming in the West River. Boaters were asked to be careful while the creatures were in the area.