Spotting a whale shark is a dream for many divers. Divemaster Daniel Zapata and the Solmar V crew were ecstatic at the recent sighting a 35 foot whale shark. But their happiness soon turned to sadness when they saw a huge line wrapped around the pregnant whale shark cutting into her skin and threatening her life.
Sadly, this entanglement story is more common than you might think. Marine debris chokes, tangles and kills thousands of marine animals each year. Despite opinions that it would be too difficult and dangerous to free the whale shark, Daniel knew they had to remove the rope. “It felt so good to cut the whale shark free. I found a thinner section of the rope and cut through it. I unwrapped the rope from each side of the whale shark and finally she was free,” said Daniel.
How can you make a difference today? Donate to help remove, record and prevent our trash from needlessly killing marine life. Our trash in the ocean threatens the survival of some of the most iconic marine animals. This month, you can double the power of your donation! All donations up to $10,000 are matched by Oris Watches this September so please donate today.
Thanks to Solmar V for sharing their rescue story with us and a big thank you to thousands of Project AWARE volunteers around the world taking action to stop the ocean’s silent killer.
