“His mouth is cut to bits! Poor bugger.” Watch as a team of fantastic blokes jump into the ocean to save a copper shark from a slow, painful death.
Alongside A+ narration, this viral encounter shows what happens when men do right by nature. Filmed in Dawesville Channel of Mandurah, Western Australia, the group found the copper shark – or bronze whaler, as they’re also called – entangled in a horrid mess of fishing line, seaweed, hooks and sinkers. Unable to swim away, the gents entered the ocean to free the enormous fish.
“Saved this BRONZE WHALER today, got 6 hooks out of its mouth all tangled up with sinkers, fishing line and seaweed!” Nikki Mosco captions the March 9 encounter.
“Please be careful!” Mosco shouts as the men hold the animal firm. This is no mean feat, either, as this looks to be a 7-foot copper shark. Submerged up to their chests, one outburst could seriously injure either. But they stand firm, and the shark remains remarkably calm throughout:
@nikkimoscardini86 Saved this BRONZE WHALER today, got 6 hooks out of its mouth all tangled up with sinkers, fishing line and seaweed! Dawesville Cut #fishingaustralia #shark #savethesharks #perthtiktok #viralvideo #fyp #foryourpage #fishingtiktoks #fishaustralia @Aussies Gone Wild 🇦🇺 #viraltiktok #foryoupageofficiall ♬ original sound – Nikki Mosco
“He’s got hooks all over him,” a bystander laments as they watch.
After a gentle release, the impressive predator swims slowly out to sea – disappearing into the abyss. And it’s all thanks to the second chance at life this crew granted.
“Well done Boys. Good karma coming your way for sure,” comments Ang on TikTok. Positivity continues to pour into the comments, and for good reason. Good on you, mates!
What is a Copper Shark?
The copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) is a coastal species with a nearly-worldwide population that prefers warm, temperate and subtropical waters. According to SharkSider, the species can reach more than 11-feet-long, meaning the individual seen above is likely a mid-sized adult.
As for their weight, the heaviest on record was 670 pounds (304.6 kg). The species is also documented at 30+ years of age.
Coppers have several common names. Bronze whaler is one, alongside the narrowtooth shark, bronze shark, cocktail shark, and New Zealand Whaler. They’re also easy to confuse with other “requiem sharks” of the family Carcharhinidae, such as tiger sharks and blacktip sharks.
In turn, the best ways to identify a proper copper shark are by their “distinct, narrow upper teeth which are hook-shaped, the absence of a prominent ridge between the dorsal fins, and its plain bronze color,” SharkSider cites.
Like many of their kin, coppers commonly hunt off the coast of South Africa, feeding in large numbers. Fast, skilled hunters, they use their acute senses and lectro-conductivity to track and consume prey. This includes bony fish, other smaller sharks, rays, and cephalopods like octopus and squid.