YouTube user DolphinWhaleSafari recently shared video footage of a 24-hour rescue effort involving a gray whale that had become entangled in what was estimated to be 50′ of netting, according to the accompanying video information. The distressed whale was discovered off California’s Laguna Beach.

Captain Dave Anderson and his wife Gisele along with members of their crew received permission from the NMFS to help untangle the whale from the net and set out last Friday evening to rescue the whale. The rescue effort involved tracking the whale overnight and spending the following day disentangling the whale from the netting. The effort was eventually a success and the whale, nicknamed “Bart,” was swimming freely once again.

The video information also reported that the carcasses of a sea lion, two angel sharks, a leopard shark, and various other fish, rays, and crabs were found in the net that the whale had been towing.

For the whole story, check out the video along with its accompanying information at YouTube.

BBC News reports that an autograph book containing a shark sketch by Damien Hirst has sold for £4,664 (approximately $7,400 USD) at an autograph auction in London.

One of Hirst’s better-known works, “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,” consists of the carcass of a tiger shark suspended in formaldehyde sealed in a display case. You can check out a photo of the sketch over at BBC News.

This authentic white shark sketch (by me) could be yours! On sale, now!

In unrelated news, the sketch seen above, by yours truly, is available for sale. Let the bidding start at $3,000 or a nice underwater housing for my 5D Mark II. Note that this over a $4,000 discount when compared to Hirst’s sketch, since I’m neither famous nor an artist. My sketch also includes scribbled “sound effects” at no additional charge! Don’t let this bargain pass you by!

According to his Twitter feed, James Cameron has safely returned from his submersible trip to the Marian Trench’s Challenger Deep. Cameron tweeted from the “ocean’s deepest pt” at around 6PM (EST) yesterday.

A National Geographic story reported that Cameron’s sub returned to the surface around 10PM (EST) last night (local time of 12PM).

For more information about the dive check out the full story at National Geographic.

A press release from the Nova Southeastern University suggests that a newly identified species of hammerhead shark that is a “look-alike” of the endangered scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) may make conservation efforts of both species difficult. Incorrect identification of each species as a result of the similarities between the two could result in difficulties monitoring the population status of both species, according to the release.

An article on the discovery of the new species appears in the April edition of “Marine Biology.”

For more information, check out the press release.

The Washington Post reports that the nations of the European Union (EU) backed a proposal that would ban all shark finning in EU waters, requiring that all harvested sharks be landed with their fins attached. Additionally, all EU-registered boats would be banned from finning sharks anywhere in the world.

In order to be signed as law, the proposal must now be approved by the European Parliament.

Those zany animators over at Next Media Animation News Direct have created a digitally animated re-creation of last week’s shark attacks off New Smyrna Beach. I’m guessing it’s safe to assume that the shark is not necessarily drawn to scale.

One of the two teenagers involved in shark attacks that occurred within minutes of each other last week off Florida’s New Smyrna Beach was aided by her mother during the attack. Valeh Levy pulled her daughter Sydney onto her surfboard after she was pulled underwater twice, by what she described as a 5′ shark, according to an ABC News report.

In addition to the shark attacks last Wednesday at New Smyrna Beach, another surfer was bitten on the arm by a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) last Thursday off of Florida’s Jensen Beach, according to WPTV. All three of the bite victims from last week’s attacks are expected to fully recover.

Despite the repeated use of imagery featuring large great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) throughout the ABC video report, none of the species involved in any of last week’s attacks are thought to be white sharks.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that two teenagers suffered shark bites off New Smyrna Beach within minutes of each other yesterday afternoon. A 15-year-old girl was bitten on the ankle, while a 17-year-old boy sustained a bite to his calf. Both were in “waist-deep” water when the bites occurred, according to the report.

Neither teen suffered what would be considered life-threatening injuries. Both are expected to recover from their injuries, according to Florida’s Fox 4.

The Weather Channel has posted and excerpt from its show “Lifeguard!” that features a discussion about shark behavior with U.C. Davis researcher Peter Klimley. Shark attacks in Southern California and white shark behavior seem to be the main focus of the segment. Relative risk of attacks, attack behavior, and white shark diet are among some the items Klimley discusses.

It’s interesting to note that (in this excerpt at least) Klimley seems to suggest that shark attacks are generally the result of a defensive behavior in which the shark bites but does not remove any flesh from the victim, which may be preceded by shark threat behavior. The topics of test bites or actual instances of sharks feeding on humans are not addressed in the clip.

A video report from Australia’s 7News features some amazing footage caught by the crew of a sea rescue helicopter depicting a massive feeding event involving bait fish, tuna, sea birds, and multiple species of sharks. The footage was shot off the coast of Perth, Australia. According to the report, most of the sharks seen in the footage are spinner sharks (Carcharhinus brevipinna) and blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus), also known as blacktip whalers in Australia.