Rosie O'Donnell's Dead Hammerhead Shark Photos Anger Environmentalists

Television host gets heat after pictures of her with an endangered shark carcass are posted online

By Bruna Nessif Jan 12, 2012 3:30 AMTags
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Shark lovers latest bait: Rosie O'Donnell.

Environmentalists are not happy with the TV personality after a photo of Rosie standing alongside the carcass of a hammerhead shark during a fishing trip with Mark "The Shark" Quartiano in Miami was released. 

Quartiano, a well-known fisherman in Florida, posted the photo on his website, which started to gain criticism due to the fact that these sharks are an endangered species and that the state banned the catch of three species of hammerheads starting Jan. 1.

In Rosie's defense, the photos were from a family fishing trip taken years ago. But O'Donnell still caught heat on Twitter, so she tried to clear up the situation.

"i love the ocean - i am on it daily in miami - chill people - really - my family fishes," she tweeted today. Another person responded with, "my family fishes and good friends hunt. The difference is that they don't go after species at risk. Be more selective."

"we were not going after any species in particular - u catch what u catch - and it wasnt endangered til 11 days ago," she said. "I have 4 kids and a job in chicago - and I know all about sharks ... I don't make a habit of fishing for them."