Is this the world's saddest shark? 'Labrador of the sea' saved after it was nearly strangled to death by elastic cord

Critically endangered 1.5 metre grey nurse shark pulled from polluted water after becoming tangled 

Seven-person team required to free the shark in off Sydney beach

Spieces is known for placid nature despite ferocious appearance

By RYAN LIPMAN

PUBLISHED: 02:17, 21 February 2014 | UPDATED: 04:00, 21 February 2014

A critically endangered grey nurse shark was on the verge of death and needed to be rescued after its head and gills became tangled in elastic cord.

The 1.5metre creature was spotted by diver Peter Simpson at Magic Point near Maroubra Beach in Sydney, Australia.

A seven-strong team, made up of Sea Life staff, a vet and Department of Primary Industries fisheries expert, was then dispatched to rescue the shark . They eventually managed to coax the female juvenile into a plastic 'sock'.

Once in the 'sock' the shark was brought safely to the surface on a stretcher where the rope was then removed from its gills and it was provided antibiotic treatment in a life-saving intervention.

A victim of polluted water, the lucky shark was given a second chance at life through the risky procedure performed by the team.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary life sciences manager Rob Townsend said the shark would have died without the life saving-treatment. 

Read more: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564442/Shark-rescued-brink-death-brave-team-helped-pull-polluted-water-risky-procedure.html#ixzz2tzWJio6M

Parents let girl, 5, swim with sharks

Two parents have been branded irresponsible after letting their five-year-old daughter swim with sharks.

David and Elana Barnes, from Connecticut, allowed daughter Anaia to with reef, lemon and nurse sharks during a holiday in the Bahamas.

A video of the 'adventure' sparked outrage after it was uploaded to video sharing website YouTube where it has been viewed nearly 200,000 times.

The couple say they were fully aware of the risks and were satisfied that Anaia was safe during the activity.

"At no point did I feel like this was dangerous," Mrs Barnes said during an appearing on Good Morning America.

Mr Barnes added: "There's just always risk assessments in life every day. I'm more concerned that they don't put seatbelts in school buses."

Nurse sharks and lemon sharks are not considered to be aggressive toward humans, but reef sharks are more of a threat.

Writing in the video's description, Mrs Barnes enthused that swimming with the beasts was worth putting "on your bucket list".

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Parents_let_girl_5_swim_with_sharks

World's first vegetarian shark

Sharks have garnered a well-deserved reputation as the ocean's most ferocious killers, capable of sniffing out a single drop of blood in the water from miles away -- but for one nurse shark at an aquatic center in the UK, the taste of meat seems to have lost its luster.

Three years ago, a six-foot-long shark named Florence grabbed headlines by becoming the first of her kind to undergo a groundbreaking 'out of water' surgery to remove a rusty fish hook lodged in her gut. Although she made a remarkable recovery and was later put on exhibit at the Birmingham National Sea Life Center in England, Florence would eventually prove that being a good patient wasn't her only distinction.

As it turns out, the Florence's close brush with death-by-fisherman seems to have left a lasting impression on her -- namely, that meaty treats mean trouble. Much to her keepers' astonishment, the fearsome carnivore has made a rather unprecedented dietary turn; now the only heads she cares to gnash are heads of lettuce.

To be fair, nurse sharks in the wild are known to occasionally graze on algae, and the rigors of gastronomical surgery can take their toll -- but Florence appears to have taken on a meatless lifestyle full time.

According to Graham Burrows of the Sea Life Center, the shark has gone "completely veggie".

Continued:  http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/worlds-first-vegetarian-shark-prefers-lettuce.html#mkcpgn=twapl1