Coast to Coast 6.3

A lifeguard recently rescued a two-foot sand shark from a group of Coney Island beachgoers. The lifeguard, Marisu Mironescu, reported seeing 75 to 100 people circling the shark. When Mironescu noticed people hitting the shark, he picked up the shark and swam out to sea. According to Mironescu, the shark played dead and eventually wriggled away and tried to bite him.

When a bluefin tuna was found dead at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, aquarium officials reviewed their digital video system to see what happened. The video showed the 229-pound tuna swimming alongside other fish when it suddenly turned and smacked head-first into a window in the tank. An aquarium spokesperson acknowledged that this is not the first time that an aquarium tuna has died from swimming into a window, noting that aquarium experts and researchers have been working for years to determine how to prevent these types of accidents.

A Lake Michigan surfer, Matt Smolenski, had noticed a dog on a pier barking at the waves and jumping back when a wave washed up on the pier. An especially large wave caught the mixed-breed dog off guard and he was swept into the lake. Smolenski paddled out to rescue the dog, who was struggling to stay afloat. Just as the dog stopped paddling, Smolenski grabbed the dog by his collar and brought him safely to shore on his surfboard.

SpongeBob SquarePants has helped save a sinking fishing vessel off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts. When a 25-foot boat, Clam Juice, developed a large crack in an exhaust pipe and began to sink, one of the crew members used a SpongeBob Nerf football to plug the leak. The Coast Guard was then able to safely tow the boat in for repairs.

The Hawaii Superferry, which would provide residents an alternative way of moving among the islands, is at the center of a heated battle between residents, environmentalists, and government officials. Opponents claim that the ferry will harm whales and other marine species. On one of its first voyages, the ferry was stopped by protesters in kayaks and on surfboards. Several groups filed lawsuits, claiming that the ferry should have had an environmental assessment before it was allowed to start its services. The state supreme court ordered an assessment, but the ferry would have been allowed to continue services under a circuit judge’s ruling. Superferry officials have cancelled their plans to resume service for the immediate future.