![items.[0].image.alt](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7ced569/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F8d%2F6faa83104bfe8c43e90c292e23bc%2Fdefault-image-1280x720.jpg)
NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, North Carolina — A nearly 12-foot tiger shark was caught and brought ashore onto North Topsail Beach in North Carolina on Wednesday.
U.S. Marine David Schmidt caught the shark. He estimated the tiger shark to weigh between 600 – 700 pounds.
Schmidt told WCTI he catches and tags sharks regularly for NOAA’s Apex Predators Program
The Apex Predators Program studies the way sharks live in an effort to help manage the Atlantic Ocean’s shark population.
The tiger shark was eventually released back into the water.
