OCEAN CITY- The 33rd Annual Ocean City Shark Tournament got underway this week, and with the action off the coast of the resort off to a remarkable start, there should be no shortage of excitement at the docks.

The tournament got started on Wednesday with registration and a captain’s meeting under the tent at the Ocean City Fishing Center in West Ocean City, but the real action got underway yesterday with the first of three fishing days. Participating boats and teams of anglers can fish two of the three fishing days from Thursday to Saturday. The event concludes on Sunday with an awards ceremony under the tent.

The Ocean City Fishing Center just across the Route 50 Bridge in West Ocean City is the host of the annual shark tournament and the marina will be turned into headquarters for the event with weigh-ins each day from 3:30-7:00 p.m. Crowds of fishing enthusiasts and curiosity seekers will cram into the marina each day for the chance to see a big shark weighed at the scales, and the entire facility is turned a celebration of fishing, food, music and fun with activities for children included.

While the primary goal of the tournament is to bring the largest shark in several categories into the scales for a shot at the thousands of dollars in prize money at stake, most of the sharks caught during the annual event are tagged and released so their movements can be studied and a greater understanding of the magnificent creatures can be ascertained.