Watch These Hero Humans Rescue Shark Tangled Up In Fishing Line

Swim free, little buddy.

Compelling footage from Jensen Beach, Florida, shows a crew of brave men working together to help a shark tangled in fishing line.

“We realized it was wrapped around something and ran to see if we could help,” Colin Baker, who filmed his two friends, told National Geographic. “We then got the fishing line unwrapped from around the body and took the hook out of its jaw.”

National Geographic identified the animal as a blacktip shark, a species that nurses its pups in shallow water near the shore. Fishing for blacktips is legal in Florida.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that most shark bites in Florida are “likely attributable” to blacktips, but notes there’s no evidence that the species has been responsible for any fatal attacks in the area.

And though using common sense to avoid dangerous shark encounters, humans are a much, much bigger threat to the marine predators than they are to us. In 2011, there were 12 reported fatal shark attacks worldwide, which was the highest number since 1993. In contrast, humans kill an estimated 11,417 sharks per hour.

Before You Go

Silky sharks in Jardines de la Reina archipelago in Cuba.

The Beauty Of Sharks

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