"It is not an everyday occurrence and rare to see cocaine floating in the water," he told InsideEdition.com
It was supposed to be a regular day at the helm of his charter shark boat, but this fisherman made a rather unexpected catch off the coast of Miami.
Read: Half a Million Dollars Worth of Cocaine Found Inside Car Driven by Mom With 2 Kids: Cops
Mark Quartiano, known as “Mark the Shark” — the self-proclaimed "most successful shark fisherman in the world" — was on his vessel Wednesday morning when he discovered a kilo of cocaine in the water.
Quartiano, who had customers on the boat that included students at the University of Miami, spotted the package bobbing in the water about two miles off the coast of the city.
“It is not an everyday occurrence and rare to see cocaine floating in the water,” he told InsideEdition.com
The former Miami-Dade police officer knew right away what the package was after his slew of drug busts during Miami’s cocaine-fueled era of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Quartiano said he spotted the package first and the students had no idea what it was. He said his customers were shocked and “surprised” because “they have never seen that before, up close and personal.”
After calling the Coast Guard to retrieve the package, he handed the kilo over.
While he doesn’t know what else the package may have contained, he said: “there is a possibility there could be cash in there.”
“Back in the day, that is what they used to do," Quartiano added. "Tie money to a brick of cocaine and drop it in the water.”
Read: This Drug Ring Stashed Cocaine in Toy Characters From Frozen, The Minions
During his days as an officer of the law and in his 40-year history as a shark fisherman, Quartiano said “square groupers,” bundles of marijuana floating in Miami waters, has been a common sight.
In the past, "Mark the Shark" has “spotted some suspicious stuff and seen boats with no fishing rods drifting near packages.” In those instances, he keeps on going and stays quiet.
While it remains unknown who the drugs belonged to, Quartiano, who catches about 800 sharks per year, said he isn’t afraid of anyone coming after him.
Watch: Drug-Smuggling Women Took 200 Pounds of Cocaine on Exotic World Cruise: Cops
