A diver recently freed a whale shark from a fishing line which had been torturing him for years off the island of Socorro, 300km off the coast of Mexico. The giant sea creature was caught in a commercial fishing line and the metal in itwas slowly cutting through his body, which could have proved fatal.
Whilst the whale shark was still able to swim, he has clearly been intormentasthe metal slowly cut through his skin.Luckily, a diver caught sight of the giant sea creatureand decided to help free him from his suffering.
When the man approached the gentle giant,it was if the whale shark knew the human could help him. He slowed down to cooperate with his saviour who managed to cut the deadly trap from his body within thirty seconds.
The scene was capturedby the diving crew currentlyfilming «Secrets of Shark Island» which is aired on theSmithsonian Channel, US.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkDBTbPrp9EThe whale shark is a very docile creature, and despite being the largest shark of their kind, they are completely harmless.Like whales, they feed on tinyfish like plankton. Their average life expectancy is over 70 years old.But they have alow birth rate, since the species do not start giving birth until they are at least 30 years old. What's more, their gentle nature means they fall victim to 'easy' slaughtering bythe horrific shark fin trade.The entire shark population has declinedby90% over the last 40 years due to the growth of the shark fin trade. The charity Shark Savers have been fighting to protect the shark and mantarayspecies for years, and you can help support them by signing a petitionhere.
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