Shark Rescued Just Off Shore

Occurred on May 6, 2019 / Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, USA

Info from Licensor: This video I captured was from a shore dive at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in South Florida. This location has a beautiful reef close to shore which provides easy access for all divers of different experience levels. I found a beautiful six-foot nurse shark nestled under a coral reef shelf, so I approached her to get some video footage of this gorgeous creature. It is rare to see such a large nurse shark so close to shore so I was very surprised to find her. As I got closer to her, she tried to swim away but she was unable. This shark was bound to the reef by a strong fishing line, several lead weights and multiple fishing hooks. My friend and I found the lines that were wrapped around her pectoral fin and tail and proceeded to cut her free. As I was untangling a line from her pectoral fin, I could see her looking at me patiently as if she knew we were helping her. This was an amazing moment that I will never forget. I am certain if we had not rescued her when we did, she most certainly would've perished in a few hours.