Australian Divers Heroically Rescue Baby Shark Caught on a Fishing Hook
Scuba diving gives people the chance to get up close and personal with the animals that live under the sea. One thing that a lot of people are hesitant about wanting to see under there is sharks, since most people consider them aggressive and dangerous. ABC News shared a video on Sunday, February 4th of two divers off the coast of Victoria, Australia who found a baby shark in need, and worked hard to rescue it.
With patience and care, one diver gently held the shark while trying to work the fish hook out of the shark pup's mouth. The other diver was recording the scene. The shark seems calm, and it almost feels like it knows that it's being helped. After a few tense seconds, the diver is able to remove the hook and the shark swims off, able to live another day.
Wow! These divers have such a cool story to tell! The shark pup's mouth looks like there was some damage to it, but other than that, appeared to be fine. @ABC News commenters appreciated that the divers took the time to stop and help the defenseless animal. @blake said, "Awesome, Thanks for saving her. You're a hero!" I laughed at @mikebeach542 who wondered, "Am I the only one who started singing “Baby Shark” when they saw this?!"
Related: Kind Men in Australia Race to Save Shark Tangled in Fishing Line
Facts About Baby Sharks
@mamaluna asked what I was wondering, "Whoa! What kind of shark is that?" and another commenter replied, "Zebra horn shark." I'd never heard of that kind of shark before, but it's such a pretty one! Since I don't know anything about baby sharks - other than they are hatched from really cool looking eggs - I decided to see what I could learn about them.
Some sharks have only one pup (the official name for a baby shark) at a time, while other species can have up to a hundred. Some species have a gestation period of just five months while others are pregnant for up to two years. Shark pups are actually born one of three ways: Mom lays eggs in a safe place and they are hatched, mom carries the eggs in her womb and gives birth to them after they hatch, or they are actually birthed from their mom.
Shark moms are not very good at being moms - they do not take care of their babies and leave them to defend for themselves the moment they are born. And another crazy fact about shark parents - they are known to sometimes try to eat their little ones! Talk about a dangerous situation to be born into!
I was so glad to see these divers help the dying pup. Hopefully it survived its wounds and is able to continue to grow and thrive!
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