Posted on 07/17/2008 3:27:20 PM PDT by rawhide
A 9.8-foot grey nurse shark had a lucky escape from a slow and painful death after Australian marine experts removed a large steel fish hook embedded in its throat Wednesday...
...Sea World director of marine sciences Trevor Long led the expedition on the theme park's rescue boat.
"We had an ambitious thought that we could find the shark and catch it and we were prepared to stay as long as it took," he said.
"We were extremely fortunate to find it on the first dive."
Three divers armed with strong rope descended to 46 feet in a bid to lasso the injured fish. Using years of practice, Long stalked her from above and dropped a lasso around her gills.
After a two-hour operation, Sea World veterinarian David Blyde removed the metal hook, called a gaff, from the shark’s jaws as four crew members straddled the animal to restrain it.
Long told the Gold Coast Bulletin: "Everyone was really tense because we knew something could go wrong at any moment."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
July 16: An endangered grey nurse shark with a large fishing hook stuck in its throat was saved following an incredible underwater mercy mission.
July 16: Sea World veterinarian David Blyde removes a metal hook from a shark’s jaws as four crew members straddle the animal to restrain it.
July 16: Trevor Long, Sea World Marine Science Director, shows the hook that caused all the trouble.
More pictures at link above.
David Blyde: You want me to what? Yea I’m gonna need a truck of beer for payment.
Very cool to see somebody saving a shark instead of just killing it. Also, What balls it takes to stick your arm into the jaws of a shark.
I think his arm is inside a pipe to protect him and his hand was removing hook beyond teeth.
That is a gaff is it not? Not a “fish hook”.
Ya,
i saw that but stiiiilll! That aside I like the effort.
Nurse sharks are harmless to humans, so hey, why not try to save it?
A successful humane act. Bravo!
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