Whale Shark Rescue
Whale Shark Rescue
By Barry Ritholtz - November 27th, 2012, 8:00AM
WHALE SHARK RESCUE November 7, 2012, diving aboard the Solmar V (www.solmarv.com) at Roca Partida, near Socorro Island, about 250 miles south of Baja, Mexico. During the first dive of the morning, we came upon a mature whale shark in some amount of distress due to a large rope cinched around its girth. It must have been there for some time, as the rope was encrusted with barnacles, and was cutting deeply into the flesh of the shark. On the second dive of the morning, we located the same whale shark once again, and with Eddy (dive guest) on the scene with his Go Pro camera, we were able to memorialize the rescue.
In the video you will see Dave (dive guide) approach the shark from the front, and Dani (dive guide) swim to the shark from above. You will see Dani successfully cut the rope loose, freeing the shark which slowly swims away. At the end, you will see Eddys wife, Gina, knuckle-bump Dani, as we all celebrate together. We brought the rope back to the boat, and found it was about 2 inches in diameter, so perhaps an anchor or mooring line? How it got wrapped around the shark is a mystery.
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/11/whale-shark-rescue/
(Short article, no more at link.)
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Ash_F
(5,861 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)Great video.
Brigid
(17,621 posts)And it took such a short amount of time to cut the line away. So fortunate that the shark's plight was discovered in time to save it.
ellenfl
(8,660 posts)Cal33
(7,018 posts)right side-fin and the body? It's right near the joint and each movement
has to be awfully painful, until it heals. Hope it isn't infected.
Judi Lynn
(160,555 posts)Horrible dilemna, wanting to avoid moving its fin to avoid horrendous pain, but having to move it in order to live.
Sure wish people had more awareness about what their thoughtless does to other life on earth.