'Absolutely Insane:' Shark With Jaw Hanging off Filmed by Hawaii Boat

A shark with its jaw hanging off has been filmed swimming off the coast of Hawaii.

The video was taken and posted to TikTok by professional shark diver and marine biologist Andriana Fragola. It shows the injured shark swimming alongside a boat, its jaw appearing to be "ripped completely out" as it hangs off the side of its face.

Fragola says in the video that the female shark is unable to close her mouth because of the injury and that another shark of about the same size was spotted with a similar injury in May.

"It is so sad to see things like this. Sharks with such horrible injuries that it would seem impossible for them to survive," Fragola said in a caption to the video. "If this is the same shark we saw injured in May it would be absolutely insane to see she is still alive and surviving."

"I hope despite the injury getting worse she is still able to survive and remain resilient. Unsustainable seafood is a huge issue for our oceans and these sharks are one of the main victims. They are caught as bycatch and then they fight so hard on the line they can actually break their jaw."

Although it is not certain what could have caused such an injury, Fragola says fishing gear is the most likely culprit, with the shark possibly being caught as bycatch. The injury may have been sustained as it fought to escape.

Bycatch refers to sharks being accidentally caught in fishery nets or on lines. It threatens many species including whales, dolphins and sea turtles.

"We are seeing more and more sharks showing jaw injuries from commercial and recreational fishing gear. What's worse is that these animals are the lucky ones that managed to break free and survive," John Hourston, founder of ocean conservation campaign group, the Blue Planet Society, told Newsweek.

"Millions of sharks aren't so fortunate. Killed by the fishing industry for their meat and fins to such an extent that the very survival of many shark species is now in doubt," he said.

In a second part of the video, Fragola says unfortunately there is nothing scientists or conservation groups can do to help the shark.

"Unfortunately a shark rehabilitation center does not exist in Hawaii, so there is nothing we can do to help revive these individuals we see with such devastating injuries," Fragola wrote in a caption to the video.

"The capture process would be very traumatic for the sharks and would likely increase their chance of a fatality. Many people also think sharks are monsters so they do not want to help save them, but I am hoping through media exposure and helping people understand these beautiful creatures, that is slowly starting to change!"

Oceanic white tip sharks and silky sharks are most at risk of being caught in fishing nets. These fisheries are often targeting tuna and catch sharks by mistake.

Fisheries will often release the sharks back into the water but occasionally they can be injured.

"It is hard to know exactly how common fishing injuries are in sharks that have been released or evaded capture," James Lea, CEO of the Save Our Seas Foundation, told Newsweek.

"Some studies have suggested that more than 20% of sharks in certain locations, for example, ragged tooth sharks in Australia, show some signs of fishing injury," he said. "Although sharks can heal well, such injuries can severely impact their health and may even still result in death."

"Overfishing remains the main threat to sharks globally. Recent studies have shown that global shark populations have declined by over 70%, with over one third of sharks and rays now considered threatened with extinction by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species."

"Millions of sharks are caught each year, both directly and as bycatch for their meat, fins and other products. Such intense fishing is unsustainable and may have severe, unpredictable consequences on marine ecosystems."