Devendra Kumar
Deb and Steve Dauphinais, a US couple from Glastonbury, Connecticut, were on a scuba going trip in Rhode Island when they stumbled upon a distressing scene underwater. While exploring the sand flats off Jamestown, Deb, a seasoned dive instructor, spotted a 16-inch juvenile shark with its head stuck inside a work glove at the bottom of 35 feet of water. Initially, she thought the shark was dead, but when it twitched, she quickly alerted her husband to come over and assist.
Steve made his way over, doing a double-take upon seeing the predicament, and attempted to free the shark by tugging on the glove. After what seemed like a struggle, the glove finally popped free, releasing the shark from its distressful state.
Despite the unusual circumstances, the Dauphinais weren’t afraid of being attacked by the juvenile dogfish shark, but they did exercise caution, aware that it could still snap at them. When the shark finally broke free, it swam off, seemingly unharmed, back to its natural habitat. This wasn’t the first time Deb had witnessed and had to rescue a marine animal in distress. In the past, she had freed a black sea bass that had been entangled in a discarded fishing line, highlighting the ongoing issue of underwater pollution and its devastating impact on marine life.
According to Deb, this is just one of many instances where sea creatures are needlessly killed by the tons of trash discarded underwater, an issue that is dear to her heart. Despite the occasional success stories like this Rhode Island rescue mission, the battle to protect the marine ecosystem remains an ongoing and pressing concern.