Loggerhead Turtle Struggles Helplessly In Tiger Shark Mouth, Video Shows

Video has emerged of a loggerhead turtle, which belongs to a threatened species, straining helplessly against the clutches of a tiger shark.

Daniel Thomas Browne, an underwater photographer, captured the footage Feb. 5 of the shark carrying the turtle around in its mouth through shallow blue water, obviously unaware that its victim belongs to a protected species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies loggerhead turtles as vulnerable, which is one step below endangered. The turtles can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as in the Mediterranean Sea, and they are the most abundant sea turtle species in the United States. But the populations in their different regions around the globe have been hurt by illegal harvesting — which targets both the turtles and their eggs — and from getting accidentally caught up in fishing gear meant for other creatures, such as gillnets.

According to the IUCN, different populations of loggerheads face different threats, and many of them are also grappling with pollution, climate change and disease.

U.S. officials have worked to lower the impact of fishing on loggerhead turtles, including adjusting the type of fishing gear and locations used to reduce the number of sea turtles getting caught up.

Tiger sharks are considered to be at lower risk than loggerheads. They, too, have a wide range and face threats from fishing bycatch and intentional harvesting.

The sharks grow to be about 18 feet long and have serrated teeth.