A beautiful whale shark who was swimming in the waters of the Socorro Island allowed human divers to get close enough to cut off the piece of commercial fishing line that was wrapped around its body and was slowly strangling the gentle creature to death. This video is from the Smithsonian series Secrets of Shark Island.
The Revillagigedo Islands, about 200 miles off the coast of Mexico, may not look like much on the surface, but beneath is one of nature’s best-kept secrets: a home to some of the greatest concentrations of fish in the world. This is the only natural juncture for miles in an otherwise empty Pacific Ocean, and a crucial area for migrating sharks and other apex predators. Enter a world where whitetip sharks, giant lobsters, and moray eels share living quarters, humpback whales breed, and mantas and tuna feast on bait in this land of plenty.
