Fishermen try to release large hammerhead caught at Florida beach

Fishermen on a Florida beach struggled to unhook and release a large hammerhead shark after they caught it and dragged it to shore.

Video of the incident was taken by a shark conservationist nearby from a boat.

Leigh Cobb says the fishermen were "blood baiting" the shark to lure it closer. In the video, Cobb says the fishermen illegally landed the shark. "Illegally landed him, can't breathe, and there they are on the beach celebrating, with a cop present," she says, disgusted.

Florida Fish and Wildlife says the great hammerhead is classified as a "group 3" shark, which is "prohibited from harvest in state waters."

"These guys say they catch and release but don't realise the harm they're doing putting the animals under stress which in turn fills their body with lactic acid which kills them!" Cobb told the news agency Storyful.