A shocking TikTok in which a diver freed an entangled shark showed the difference one person can make.
Mermaid.kayleigh (@mermaid.kayleigh), a diver and ocean lover, posted the two-minute video in May. It showed her efforts to remove a long fishing line from an oceanic whitetip shark, which has one of the widest ranges among squaloids.
@mermaid.kayleigh I still cant believe how much fishing line I was able to remove from one shark @KaimanaOceanSafari! It felt like we were pulling it in forever. Its always great reminders to cut the line as short as possible when accidentally catching a shark. Long line left on an animal can create drag, entanglement or even cause them to become stationary if the line gets caught on something. #savesharks #oceanicwhitetip #sharkdiving #ocean #sharkdiver #hawaii ♬ Belonging - Muted
"I couldn't see the end of the fishing line, so I knew that this was going to be a lot of line, but I never would've imagined how much it actually turned out to be," Kayleigh said.
She detailed the rescue, saying her first attempt was unsuccessful because of a dull knife. She quickly recovered, however, and cut the line as short as she could.
Kayleigh took precautions in what she described as a hectic situation with many sharks in the vicinity, including avoiding eye contact with the predator, splashing, and making noise.
Kayleigh said the video of her winding up the end of the cut line took minutes and that she had to pass it off to friends on a boat to finish the job. The line may have been hundreds of feet long.
She offered advice for anglers and others who hook sharks and other wildlife, saying: "As you can see, all of this fishing line would be very annoying and cause a lot of drag for the shark, so it's best to cut the line as short as possible to minimize situations like this. Line this long could easily become entangled on something, which would leave the shark stuck in place, and it would likely die."
Even birds can get caught up in fishing line, and it is often a death trap. Monofilament plastic line is strong and flexible, so it is difficult if not impossible for creatures to disentangle themselves. It's also usually transparent, which makes it all but unavoidable.
Animals that get wrapped up in it are at risk of drowning, starvation, and becoming prey.
Save Coastal Wildlife recommends recycling fishing line. If that's not possible in your area, cut it into 1-inch pieces and dispose of it in a covered trash can. You can also use biodegradable line or reuse old line to strengthen necklaces or other jewelry.
At the end of her video, Kayleigh expressed disbelief about the experience and said she was thankful for the opportunity to help the shark. She added that she hoped to see it again so that she could fully free it.
"Oh my gosh, we are a parasite," one commenter said. "Thank you for helping that poor shark."
Another user wrote: "Damn! That was the whole reel!"
"Thank you for your conservation!" a third TikToker stated. "This is the real reason we are divers!"
Someone else said: "That must have been such a relief for that shark! So glad you were able to help."
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