Divers nurse dying tiger shark back to health in Australia

Earlier this week, shark conservationists dove to the rescue of a dying shark, swimming beside it until it had enough strength to survive on its own.

To prevent shark attacks off the Western Australian coast, a new (and controversial) shark-culling program has been implemented.

Sharks over three metres long caught on a baited drum line off of Perth's beaches are shot. Shorter sharks are tagged and released — often, in poor shape or near death.

On April 1, fishery officials released a 2.4-metre tiger shark near Trigg Beach. Observers on three nearby boats reported seeing it floating just beneath the water's surface. It began turning upside down, a sign that the shark was near death.

Divers from Sea Shepherd and Animal Amnesty boats came to the rescue, taking turns swimming alongside the tiger shark for about 90 minutes to keep it upright and help it get enough oxygen into its gills.

Eventually the shark "kicked" and regained enough strength to swim off on its own.

"Everyone was starting to think it was time to give up. Then it gave a kick, then a couple more big kicks and then it swam off. It was really classic," Amy-Lea Wilkins of Animal Amnesty told The Australian.

"It wasn't particularly dangerous," she added. "We could see the shark was close to death and it was a matter of everyone taking turns — two people swimming with the shark and one spotter."

"We kept tickling it under the chin and moving it to help get the oxygen into its system. It was really beautiful to see it swim off."