Silky Shark Unhooked by Kind Divers in Florida [VIDEO]

Sharks may have a bad reputation as the ocean's most fearsome predators, but even they can use a helping hand sometimes. This past weekend, divers off the Florida coast were bold enough to offer their assistance to a silky shark they encountered with a fishhook stuck in its mouth.

The divers, from the group "Shark Addicts," were just the people for the job. While exploring the waters off of Jupiter, Fla., they ran into several silky sharks. They noticed one had a hook stuck in its mouth, and risked their lives to rescue it.

Diver Randy Jordan was able to grab the injured shark and put it into tonic immobility, a state of temporary paralysis caused by turning the shark over. While the animal was dazed, another diver, Cameron Nimmo, used pliers to gently remove the hook, allowing the shark to swim away with full use of its dangerous chompers.

"Everything went successful, the shark was not harmed, and no divers were harmed. We plan on doing this more in the future," the group wrote on YouTube.

Silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) have been known to be aggressive enough to pose a danger to innocent swimmers and divers, but shark attacks are actually a rare occurrence, according to The Dodo.

The silky shark, so named for its smooth body, swims in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Along the Atlantic coast, it ranges from New York to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. This species, also referred to as the net-eater shark for its tendency to ravage tuna nets, prefers offshore reefs and waters near continental and insular slopes, primarily surface waters. They can reach up to 11 feet long.

About 100 million sharks, like the silky shark, are killed each year, Sea Shepherd Conservation reported, by longlines, "sport" fisherman" or by the cruel shark finning practice.

Shark finning is popular in China, where shark fin soup is considered a long-time delicacy. The shipping of shark fins was just recently banned on Singapore Airlines following public outcry of the practice. The airline is a major shipping hub for shark fins.