A Florida man claiming to be a boat captain was arrested on Thursday after confessing to stabbing a shark in the head, which he filmed and shared on Snapchat. The video went viral last month.
Zane Garrett, 26, faces charges of aggravated animal cruelty for brutally stabbing a bull shark near a wreck site in Key West. The incident took place on May 22 and was captured in a video titled “Bud Broke My Rod,” as reported by local news.
Garrett, who is listed as the captain on the Second Nature Charters website, was identified by an anonymous person who viewed the disturbing video and reported it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
He later mentioned that he had been under investigation for misrepresentation, as he lacks the proper license to operate as a captain.
Authorities initially circulated the video and conducted an interview with a witness who directly pointed to Garrett.
In their report, officials expressed concern: “Yes, the weapons of the 9-11-inch filet knife are indeed for violent actions, like repeatedly stabbing a shark. Yes, I’m worried they are foolish enough to commit a crime.”
When confronted with the bloody footage, Garrett acknowledged, “Yeah, that’s me.” He claimed his actions were part of standard practice to deter sharks from stealing their catch, stating that stabbing them would scare off others.
According to the warrant mentioned by local news, Garrett admitted to stabbing the shark multiple times out of “revenge.” He also noted that he believed the blows wouldn’t necessarily kill the shark, saying, “No, it takes a lot more than stabbing it in the head to kill a shark.”
He further admitted to having killed more sharks using firearms, revealing that he had harmed sharks without properly harvesting them on several occasions in the past.
Authorities characterized his actions as unnecessary cruelty to the shark.
Garrett is currently held at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Key West Jail Facility, with a bond set at $10,000. His arraignment is scheduled for June 26.
