This 9-foot Grey Nurse shark was discovered with a foreign object lodged in her throat in the Cape Byron Marine Park, yesterday. Grey Nurse Sharks, a species extremely similar to the North American Sand Tiger Shark, is critically endangered. A squad of experts from Sea World, the New South Wales Fisheries Department and the Byron Bay Marine Park Authority jumped into action.

Three divers found her over 45 feet deep, where they lassoed her and led her into the "Challenger," a sea life transport tube. Then they got her onto the boat and proceeded trying to remove the foreign object with the help of a large pvc pipe.


David Blyde, marine veterinarian and general badass, leads the surgical team by jamming his hand down the Shark's throat.

[source]

Follow up:

Here are some more sweet pics of David Blyde and his fancy handiwork.

Guess why this one is our favorite?

The operation was a success. The Shark was given antibiotics, tagged, and released into the wild. But what was it that they found in the Shark's stomach?

A giant fishing gaff!

If someone tried to catch this Shark intentionally they are a supreme douchebag, and if caught would be subject penalties. There are only a few hundred Grey Nurse Sharks left in Australian waters, having been decimated by Shark finners, commercial long lines and nets, and sport fishermen.

--Sharky

technorati tags: Sharks, Grey Nurse Sharks, Australia, New South Wales, Sand Tiger Sharks, scuba

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