Video: College student dives off pier to catch dogfish shark with bare hands

POULSBO, Wa. — A college student caught a shark in Washington’s Puget Sound -- with his bare hands.

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Alex Winn, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was on a dock with friends when they saw the school of spiny dogfish sharks.

So Winn dived into the bay’s waters and he emerged with the shark.

After a few seconds with the shark on the dock, the 19-year-old threw the shark back into the water. Winn said it swam away unharmed.

Winn told The Seattle Times Thursday that the recording almost didn't happen because his friend only had 1 percent of his phone battery remaining.

It’s why the group didn’t get to film the release of the shark, Winn said.

More than 150,000 people viewed the viral video within a day on Instagram.

Winn said he saw the opportunity of catching one as a chance to see a dogfish, which are native to Puget Sound waters, up close.

Dogfish are small coastal sharks with a dark brown or gray body and a white belly.

They are an endangered species in Washington state.

Sports fishermen who go after dogfish usually catch them by using a “light tackle throw” with a fishing rod. Usually, fishermen throw the dogfish back into the water, as shown in the video below.

According to the Department of Washington Fish and Wildlife possession rules, it's illegal to catch dogfish and mutilate them (such as clipping fins) before throwing them back into the water.

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