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People on Instagram are going crazy for this shark expert - well, technically, for his abs

NOAA volunteer Elliot Sudal captures a shark in Sanibel, Florida.
NOAA volunteer Elliot Sudal captures a shark in Sanibel, Florida.

A Florida shark expert has captivated social media with photos where he captures different species of the fish around the Sunshine State. But most fans are not even looking at the sharks. They are ogling his muscles.

Elliot Sudal, a volunteer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program, has been very active on recent weekends on Sanibel Island in Lee County.

The man caught and released a 12-foot-long hammerhead shark, and posted a photo next to the animal at sunset. The previous weekend, he caught four sharks on the same beaches.

“That man should NEVER wear a shirt,” suggested Shirley Moore, while Rachel Waugh wondered “What shark? All I see are abdominals. ”

Multiple giant hammerheads this weekend… unreal. Tagged and released with the help of @catchinjiants @morganmatson @iloveshelling #sanibel #sharks #tagandrelease #fishing #barrettrods #mustadhooks #sharktagging #rhone

A post shared by Elliot Sudal (@acksharks) on May 6, 2018 at 5:26pm PDT

Sudal has left men and women equally impressed.

“That shark is crazy. Like your abs,” said a user identified as Tony Caz, while Sam Schroeder wrote:” Man, I’m going to need your exercise plan.”

Whether it’s the shark or the expert’s physique, his photos have scored thousands of “likes” on Instagram.

Sanibel hammerhead #tagandrelease #sharktagging #fishing #hammer #catchandrelease #sharks #chubbies

A post shared by Elliot Sudal (@acksharks) on Apr 29, 2018 at 5:45pm PDT

In the comments, some users also took the opportunity to criticize Sudal for catching sharks on the beaches of Florida. The expert explained that they capture them to reasearch and learn about these animals.

“To discover how they move and why, depending on water quality, temperature, climate change, things like that,” Sudal added about his work to the Daily Mail.

NOAA explained to el Nuevo Heald that the Cooperative Shark Tagging Program provides vital information to scientists on stock identity, movements and migration, abundance, age and growth, mortality and behavior of sharks.
Among the guidelines of the program is that the animals should be left in the water while tagging. The volunteers should never drag the fish on dry sand or on a boat deck, sit on them for pictures, or take prohibited species, which include most ridgeback sharks.
Approximately 7,000 individuals are registered with the program, but not all of them are active, according to the agency. Since 1962, more than 290,000 fish, representing 52 species, were tagged as part of this program.
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