Recently, a team of professional divers was exploring Catalina Island, off the coast of California, when they made an unexpected discovery. They spotted a rare giant sea bass, a species known for its endangered status. At first, the sighting was exciting, but the mood quickly shifted to concern when the divers noticed a smaller fish lodged in the sea bass’s mouth.
Alarmed by the situation, the divers immediately contacted Bleu World, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ocean conservation, located on Catalina Island. Bleu World was planning to film marine life that day, so they agreed to assist and keep an eye out for the giant sea bass in distress.
A group of Bleu World divers soon embarked on an underwater mission to locate and assist the trapped fish. The giant sea bass surprisingly swam directly towards them when they found it.
“I don’t normally assign human emotions to animals, but it genuinely seemed like the sea bass was asking for help,” said Kayla Feairheller, founder and president of Bleu World, during an interview with The Dodo. “The fish kept coming closer and even pushed the smaller fish’s tail towards my hand, almost as if it wanted me to pull it out.”
Feairheller and her team quickly realized how serious the situation was. The smaller fish had been stuck in the sea bass’s mouth for a full week, preventing it from eating.
Sadly, before Feairheller could help, she had to resurface to refill her scuba tank. Returning to dry land, she couldn’t stop thinking about the sea bass.
“I knew that fish needed help, and it was heartbreaking to leave it behind,” Feairheller said.
Witnessing any animal in distress is tough, but it’s especially troubling when it involves a critically endangered species like the giant sea bass. According to research by Andrew Pettit from the Spotting Giant Sea Bass project, there are only about 1,200 of these fish remaining in Southern California.
Later that day, Feairheller and her team went back underwater, determined to free the sea bass. This time, she managed to grab the tail of the smaller fish and pull it out. Once it was dislodged, the sea bass shook it free, finally able to breathe properly again.
Feairheller was overjoyed by the success of the rescue. “I was so excited. I had chills all over my body for the rest of the dive … I couldn’t believe it happened,” she said.
Since giant sea bass are critically endangered, every life saved is vital. Thanks to Feairheller and her team, this incredible animal got a second chance at survival.