Deep water shark dentistry
An endangered Grey Nurse Shark with fishing hooks caught in its jaw has been rescued near Maroubra Beach.
A local diver spotted the 1.2 metre pup, nicknamed 'Wendy', prompting a delicate underwater recovery mission.
After surviving months with two fishing hooks wedged in her jaw, help finally arrived for Wendy.
A team of 12 prepared for a dangerous underwater rescue off Maroubra Beach. The Grey Nurse pup was in a bad way.
Sea Life vet Dr Rob Jones said: “They get a sore mouth and so they can't eat. So this shark this morning was very, very skinny."
Divers from Manly Sea Life and the Department of Primary Industries floated a shark bag to the ocean floor.
Wearing thick wetsuits and chain-mail gloves, they guided the one-year-old inside.
Dr Townsend added: "We pass it up to the waiting veterinarian to perform the next stage and probably the most critical stage of the mission."
The animal was taken by stretcher to a boat waiting above the surface. Vets performed some daring dentistry using bolt cutters and pliers.
It is only the second successful Grey Nurse rescue the team has completed in the wild. Earlier this year, another shark from the same Magic Point colony was given a new chance at life.
There are only 1500 Grey Nurse Sharks left on our east coast and, thanks to these divers, not one less.
