Divers Swim Past Endangered ‘Giant’ — Then Realize Something’s Wrong

A group of professional divers was recently exploring Catalina Island off the coast of California when they spotted a giant sea bass. At first, they were excited to see such a rare fish, but their excitement quickly turned to concern when they noticed a smaller fish stuck in the sea bass’s mouth.

Worried, the divers reported this to Bleu World, an ocean conservation nonprofit based on Catalina Island. Since Bleu World was already planning to film ocean wildlife that day, they agreed to look out for the giant sea bass in need.

A team of Bleu World divers set out on an underwater mission to find and help the giant sea bass. When they finally located the fish, it swam right up to them.

“I don’t usually attribute human emotions to animals, but it really seemed like the sea bass was asking for help,” Kayla Feairheller, founder and president of Bleu World, told The Dodo. “It kept moving closer to me and even pushed the fish’s tail toward my hand, almost as if it wanted me to pull it out.”

At that moment, Feairheller and the team realized the situation was serious. The fish had been stuck in the sea bass’s mouth for a whole week, and it was clear the bass hadn’t been able to eat during that time.

Unfortunately, Feairheller had to resurface to refill her scuba tank before she could help the giant sea bass. Even after returning to dry land, she couldn’t stop thinking about the fish.

“I knew that fish needed help, and it was heartbreaking to have to swim away,” Feairheller said.

It’s always hard to see an animal in distress, but it’s even more upsetting when it’s a critically endangered species like the giant sea bass. According to a UCSB thesis project by researcher Andrew Pettit with Spotting Giant Sea Bass, there are only about 1,200 giant sea bass left in Southern California.

Later that day, Feairheller and her team dove back into the water, more determined than ever to help the giant sea bass. This time, she was able to grab the smaller fish’s tail and pull it loose. Once it was dislodged, the giant sea bass was finally able to shake it free from its throat.

Feairheller was thrilled they were able to save the fish. You can watch the entire rescue, captured on video by Reggie Farr, here:

“I was so excited. I had chills all over my body for the rest of the dive … I couldn’t believe it actually happened,” Feairheller said.

Since giant sea bass are critically endangered, saving even one makes a big difference. Thanks to Feairheller’s efforts, this important animal got a second chance.

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