Above: A Megamouth Shark, (Megachasma pelages), an extremely rare species of deepwater shark first discovered in 1976, struggles to survive in a driftnet. Four specimens of this rare species have been taken in the California Driftnet Fishery in recent years (1984, 1990, 1999, 2001). Only 54 other records of this species have been recorded from Hawaiian, Australian, Japanese, Brazilian, Philippine, Senagalese, and Indonesian waters. Therefore, the 4 California Drift Gillnet bycatch records represent bringing deadly harm to almost 10% of worldwide observations of this unique shark. This one was caught in 2001.

Above: A Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) struggles to survive after being caught in the California Drift Gillnet Fishery in 2003.

Above: What appears to be blood taints this image of a Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) caught in the California Drift Gillnet Fishery in 2003.

Above: An Oceanic Manta Ray, (Manta birostris), the largest species of ray the in the world, suffers from bycatch in the California Drift Gillnet Fishery. These rays are brutally killed for their large fins as part of the illegal shark fin trade. This one was caught in 1998.

Above: What appears to be a dead mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) lies on deck.

Above: This Megamouth Shark, (Megachasma pelages), an extremely rare species of deepwater shark first discovered in 1976, struggles to survive in a driftnet. Four specimens of this rare species have been taken in the California Driftnet Fishery in recent years (1984, 1990, 1999, 2001). Only 54 other records of this species have been recorded, thus the 4 bycatch records represent bringing deadly harm to almost 10% of worldwide sightings of this unique shark. This one was caught in 1999.

Above: A Megamouth Shark, (Megachasma pelages), an extremely rare species of deepwater shark first discovered in 1976, struggles to survive in a driftnet. Four specimens of this rare species have been taken in the California Driftnet Fishery in recent years (1984, 1990, 1999, 2001). Only 54 other records of this species have been recorded from Hawaiian, Australian, Japanese, Brazilian, Philippine, Senagalese, and Indonesian waters. Thus the 4 bycatch records represent bringing deadly harm to almost 10% of the worldwide observations of this unique shark. This one was caught in 1999.

Above: The Megamouth Shark, (Megachasma pelages), an extremely rare species of deepwater shark. first discovery in 1976, struggles to survive in a driftnet. Four specimens of this rare species have been taken in the California Driftnet Fishery in recent years (1984, 1990, 1999, 2001). Only 54 other records of this species have been recorded from Hawaiian, Australian, Japanese, Brazilian, Philippine, Senagalese, and Indonesian waters, thus the 4 bycatch records represent bringing deadly harm to almost 10% of worldwide records of this unique shark. This one was caught in 2001.

Above: A Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) struggles to survive after being caught in the California Drift Gillnet Fishery in 2003.

Above: A Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) struggles to survive after being caught in the California Drift Gillnet Fishery in 2003.