GAR WARS! The Battle to Save this GIANT Fish!

- 150 million years ago, a torpedo-shaped predatory

fish

covered in armor swam virtually unopposed in the presence of dinosaurs. Fast forward to the present day, and

this

beast's relatives are still swimming around, almost unchanged in design, reigning as freshwater megafauna. Gar are masters of evolution. They have survived beyond the dinosaurs and everything that came after, until their existence met an inescapable destiny: humans. I'm about to make waves and

this

episode is about to make some waves. So if you're ready to join the fight, together we have a chance to save these

fish

. Welcome to the Gar Wars. A fish conservation force has awakened. (dramatic music) I once caught a big fish.

You may remember my encounter with the blue catfish. - How about that, boy? - Holy Cow. - Well, if you thought it was an impressive freshwater river monster, you won't believe your eyes when you see where this episode is going. But before we start fishing, we first have to go fishing. In this hunt for wild fish, I will be working alongside the Gar Guys, Hayden, Max and Florian. Hayden is a Texas A&M graduate student who is researching the Gar alligator for his master's project, while Max and Florian, two wild and experienced Dutch Gar Wranglers from the Netherlands, are working in conjunction with Hayden's research, as part of your graduation internship and the completion of your master's degree.

These guys love fish, more than you can imagine. So, for Mario and I it is an honor to document their process and share their fight for the conservation of this species. So right now, what we're doing is using a scanner, the Hummingbird System, to determine if there are fish in this area. And we're seeing little marks showing up on the scanner, which definitely appear to be very large fish, which is a good sign. Max, do you like this place? - We definitely like the place. It's got some calm water and that's basically what we need, to catch these fish because they really like to be out of the current, and we can actually set our nets efficiently.

Otherwise, the current would carry them away and the fish would not enter or would simply bounce away. So this seems like a very good place to catch them. - Okay, so it looks like this may be a place for us to cast the next gillnet. Let's see if this is the lucky place to catch the monster Gar. This simple-looking but high-tech device reveals many of the water's secrets, including hidden obstacles like trees, the depth of the water and, if we're lucky, the various body signatures of fish. Rod and reel is a very sporty way to fish for Gar, but getting a hook into their bony mouths can be nearly impossible and puts an incredible amount of stress on the fish.

So, to lessen the impact, we will fish with gill nets, 200 feet wide by 10 feet high. We carefully spread the large net along the river, one upstream and one downstream. The bright yellow buoys helped keep the net afloat and at the same time served as a signal for the team. If a fish swims toward the net and becomes entangled in it, these bright indicators will move up and down, alerting you that a fish has been caught. - Well, we officially have the first two nets placed in the water. The next part of Gar's quest is called waiting.

We will spend about an hour watching the nets, waiting for the buoys to eventually sink below the surface. Now, if one goes down to the bottom, Florian and Max said that means you have a monster fish. So we'll keep our fingers crossed. We like the places where the nets are placed. - Now we sit and wait and see what happens. The term River Monster is a very familiar description of a seemingly malicious animal that lurks beneath the surface of our planet's flowing freshwater systems. To be fair, it's also the title of my favorite TV series of all time.

However, it is important to redefine what the Gar actually is, because the term monster carries a notorious and unfairly assigned reputation. There are seven species of these toothy fish throughout the world, three of which can be found in this area. The Spotted Gar, which is beautifully spotted, in a variety of uncoordinated spots, the Long Nose Gar, named for its decidedly thin and noticeably elongated snout, and the Alligator Gar, which is hailed as the largest and apparently most menacing of the Gar. gang. (dramatic music) Yes, they are big, fast, scaled with armor and equipped with rows of needle-like teeth, but don't let their appearance be shattered, as your initial assumptions will turn into false accusations.

Gar does not attack humans. And honestly, the only well-documented bites come from fishermen who are accidentally bitten while trying to remove fishing hooks. However, it was uneducated scaremongering, dating back almost 100 years, that placed the Alligator Gar on a list of dangerous animals in North America. Unfortunately, populations have been extirpated in many areas of their natural range. And if things couldn't get any worse, now these fish face a new threat: bow hunting. But before kicking the door open on that sensitive topic, we'd better check the networks first. Well, right now we're sailing upriver, on our way to check on one of the nets, which has been down for about 40 minutes. (Hayden speaks indistinctly) - What?

We detected some movement on a buoy. There may be a fish in this net. (dramatic music) - Okay, we might have something. Alright, let's do it! (boat engines whirring) - You better be there. - Right now we're just keeping an eye on those guys. If there's a fish there, we don't want to scare it, because while they can get tangled in the net, it's also pretty easy for them to get out, unless we get the net to wrap around the fish. So let's cross our fingers. We really liked the way we had this set originally. (dramatic music) (ship creaking) - Oh, we have a fish, fish. - Oh really?

Oh, Lord no. That's great. - Look at this Gar. (dramatic music) - Oh, that's great. - Wow! Yeah! Check it out! Oh ho, wow. - Is that good? - Yes, yes please. Well, right now, what Max is doing is gently removing the net from the Gar's teeth. A very dangerous little procedure here. I have these, what are called net hooks. This is so you don't lose a finger in the process. - Take all the time. - This is my first encounter with a Longnose Gar. I've never seen one of these before. It's beautiful, look at that bluish color. - That's a decent sized Longnose too. - There is! - There is. - Amazing.

Check it out. That's a long-nosed Gar. Now, the long nose guard gets its name because of that elongated snout. If you look closely there, that mouth is full, full of needle-sharp teeth, and they specialized in eating fish. And you can see that if you were a fish and you got stuck in those jaws, it would be a very bad day. And look at the blue iridescence in the coloration. This is an absolutely beautiful fish. And like the Alligator Gar, they are covered in these armored scales. Eyes large, bulbous, just on the side of the head. They have incredible vision.

And that streamlined body basically turns them into a long, muscular missile. Underwater, these fish have incredible speed. Now these fish can stay out of water for a significant period of time. And right now the fish is secreting this very thick, slippery mucus from its scales. That helps keep you hydrated. We don't want to keep it out of the water for too long. What a beautiful fish. I can't get over how amazing and how prehistoric these animals are. Now, I would say this is a medium size, for a long-nosed Gar. In some cases they get a little bigger than this, but seeing a Longnose Gar for the first time, I don't think it can get much better than this.

And the river always makes you work for it. You won't get the Alligator Gar on the first capture, but seeing the species is definitely something we were hoping would happen, while working here with the Gar Guys. Let's see here. Alright. Here we go. At any second. Okay, let's continue checking the network. This is a good place! - I think we can go now. - Oh yeah. (dramatic music) - Right there. - Oh, that's huge, that's a big fin, man. - It depends on your left hand. - Oh boy. - Oh-hoo-hoo. - Check it out. Our first Alligator Gar.

Wow. Oh! - Alright. - You definitely have to be careful with that snout and that skull full of needle-sharp teeth. So what we're doing now is getting the Gar off the grid safely. The calmer we can keep the fish, the less stress we put on it, the better for its health and safety. It is a very good sized Alligator Gar. - And right now, can you slide it down a little bit? - Well. - It looks like it's just stuck with its teeth. - Yes. - And this is what usually happens with really big fish. They only catch them with their teeth.

Small tooth. - Well. This is free. Wow. This one is bigger and thinner. Look at my newly covered hands. - Do you smell it? - In Gar's slime. Yes. The smell. - That was cold. - Yes. Very distinctive smell, compared to other fish. I'll cover it with a towel. - The experience is less stressful. - Yes, like alligators. Well. I'll put a towel over it. It's good, awesome. Let's go out into the shade and collect some biometric data. Crocodile Gar. There is. The Gar boys collect significant biometric data from any Gar alligator they catch, including the length of the fish's head. 22 and a half, measures the entire body. - 146 centimeters. - Wow.

And the circumference of the circumference. -58.-The base of his dorsal fin is marked with a unique identification flag. And a Micro PIT tag is quickly inserted, so that if the fish is caught in the future, they can quickly scan and identify it. Are you ready for this? Meet the Alligator Gar. Look at the size of that fish, a true river monster. And one of the oldest species of fish. That still nothing on this planet. Remember that the relatives of this fish go back a hundred million years, which means that its cousins ​​swam among the dinosaurs.

Obviously the head is incredibly interesting. And when I turn it like this towards you and you look down at the top of the snout, they get the name alligator Gar, because of that wide, wide snout, it looks like the snout of an alligator. And another interesting aspect of the skull is the fact that these bones are intertwined with this fleshy cartilage that allows the skull to expand. So if this fish catches prey, larger than what fits in its mouth, its skull actually stretches almost like a snake, and that is able to position its prey and swallow it into the hole.

I mean, you look along the body of this fish. It's incredibly simplified. Let me lift it up a little bit, like a big muscular missile. Oh, come here, friend. When you get to the tail, the dorsal fin is very low, near the causal fin. And that tail works like a rudder to help propel this fish forward through its aquatic environment. This fish is as slippery as can be in this direction, but if you run your hand back. It almost looks like sandpaper. When you see the fish rise to the surface like that and bite, it's not because it's aggressive, it's actually taking a breath of air.

Remember that this species is very unique and has bimodal respiration. It can breathe on the surface or through its gills. And it can take fish 30 to 40 years to reach this size. Therefore, putting protections in place to ensure the future of this species is preserved is incredibly important. And the work that the Gar guys are doing in our ability to introduce this species of fish will hopefully help put protections in place so these fish will be on the planet for another hundred million years. What an incredible

giant

. There's no doubt about it, that was a big fish, but in the Gar universe, our first catch, we're simply a phonic candidate in training.

Now before we get excited about checking the nets, I started to mention bowfishing and how this illegal sport is taking a notable toll on the future of these living relics. Remember when I warned you about the danger of making waves, it's time to put on your life jacket because the conservation tidal wave is building on the horizon. We need your support, but before you can help, it is important to witness what we are fighting for. (dramatic music) Alligator Gar is one of the longest-lived fish in the Western Hemisphere. And it can take more than a decade for them to reach maturity.

Once reproductive age is reached, males and females migrate from the protection of deep waterways to shallow floodplains where reproduction takes place. Unfortunately, it is in this intimate setting that bowfishers kill the greatest number of mature adults. (dramatic music) Bowfishing is a brutal sport that is simply defined as shooting fish with a bow and arrow. Now, before we rush to judgement, it is important to recognize that not all bowfishers and their practices are bad. Technically, this style of hunting is not illegal. In some cases, it may bebeneficial to the ecosystem. An example is the collection of invasive Asian carp.

The problem exists when their arrows are intentionally shot at predators like the alligator Gar. Gar considered raw fish or trash. And while some people consume their catch, most dump lifeless carcasses along the river embankments. Over time, the destruction of these long-lived fish by trophy hunting will prove detrimental to the necessary balance of our river ecosystems. And without restrictions, you can understand why these living dinosaurs are at risk of extinction. At this moment we approach a buoy that is very low in the water. This could be a fish. Look at this, very sunken compared to the others.

This could be a fish. Alright. So what do we want to do guys? - We want to grab the line of the foot. - Okay, look where exactly the fish is. - Okay - And then we see which direction it's swimming and bring it on board to tag it. Gently. Once you notice the boat is on it, gently lift it up. We're seeing a lot of bubbles right here. - There's a huge fish in this net. It may be without a doubt. The biggest fish you will ever see. We begin to gently lift the net. I saw it poke its head out, maybe two feet long.

So we're waiting for Mario to catch up. We were checking a different network. The cameras are working. These will be our river monster boys. Now it's just a matter of getting it on the boat. - I estimate that this one measures two meters. - It could be, it could be a 250-pound fish. - Giant! - Enormous. Enormous. Make your camera loud. (group talk) (dramatic music) - Oh my God. - That's a

giant

. - Alright. Don't worry about that. - We need to find a way to go around it with the cap line, and I need your help too. and I also need your help.

Can I come here? - Yes, let me get out of your way. I'm going to weigh the boat from the side. - It's good. Oh Lord. This is a big fish. - This one is huge. - I have your leg. I have your leg. - Oh Lord. This could be the biggest fish ever seen. - Wow. It's a huge fish, guys. (group cheering) We have to get him on the boat. (group talk) Where do you want me? - Right in the middle, next to us. - It's a real river monster. (dramatic music) (group chat) - Are you ready?

One two three. - Yeah! (group applauding) - Holy cow. That's a river monster. It's absolutely huge. I would slide back. Well. Yeah! The fish is safe. Oh my God! It's huge. Absolutely huge. Right now we are removing the net from the fish. Let's get to your shaded areas. Start collecting biometric data. And we're definitely going to take a good look at it. This is what river monster legends are made of. This alligator Gar is the biggest fish I have ever seen in my life. No questions asked. So, its namesake, where it comes from, that reptile, you can see how closely this fish resembles a reptile of that magnitude.

I'm just beside myself right now. This is crazy. This fish is huge. There you go. The fish is free. Well. We have to get the net onto the boat here. Guys, this is... amazing. - And this is your last day in the field? - Our last day. - And it may be your biggest fish. - And perhaps our biggest fish. I want to share this moment with you guys. - Hahaha! Wow. I mean, this is where legends come from. Fish this size are what they write stories about. I can't, I never imagined we would catch one that big.

As is the case with all Gar alligators, we quickly collect biometric data, length, girth, identification flag, and insertion of a Micro Pit Tag. What does passive integrated transponder mean? For clarification. This is not a tracking chip. It is an identification tag that can be quickly scanned to identify this fish. If recaptured in the future. Prepare to have your mind absolutely boggled, because this is the largest Gar alligator we could have ever encountered. This fish is almost eight feet long and weighs about 220 pounds. If that doesn't define a river monster, I don't know what does. I can barely wrap my arms around him.

It feels like you're grabbing a dolphin, or probably more accurately, grabbing something that is a dinosaur. Remember that these creatures have been on the planet for over a hundred million years. Look at the size of this fish's head. Their jaws are huge. His enormous eyeballs and skull absolutely dwarf my hand. When I place it on top. The armored plating that runs the length of this fish is so thick that you can easily see why Native Americans turned these ganoid scales into arrowheads. In fact, you can turn this entire fish into an armored shell if necessary. Of course, that's certainly not something we would ever have to do.

And it's probably taking this fish about 50 years, if not more, to grow to this proportion. Let me see if I can lift it up a little bit. underwater, it's a little more buoyant. So it's a little easier. Look at its size. Absolutely huge. That's taking all my strength just to get it. And when I turn it like this and look at the length of the body, I look at the dorsal fin, the caudal fin, absolutely gigantic. I had never seen a creature of this magnitude. My whole life. I have been fascinated by the alligator Gar, similar to the snapping turtle.

This is a creature that was simply considered a nuisance, technically a trash fish, and at one point, they attempted to eradicate this species from the face of the planet. Because they had a menacing-looking snout and those big teeth, people were afraid that a fish this size would grab onto their legs, drag them into the murky depths, and eat them. But you can see how docile this animal really is. In fact, it's so tame that I feel comfortable getting within inches of those teeth. This is not a voracious, bloodthirsty killer. It is a kind and sensitive being that feeds on other fish and does everything it can to stay out of the sight of humans.

Now, the biggest threat facing an animal of this proportion is truly man, can you imagine going out into the environment and shooting an animal like this, with a bow and arrow? It absolutely breaks my heart to think that these fish are hunted for sport. Now, if we could include the Alligator Gar as a game fish that would limit the number of fish killed for sport, something of this magnitude would be a significant part of the breeding population. This is without a doubt a female, the females dwarf the males in size and their genetics, which will continue into the future.

Woo-hoo-hoo! That gulf of air splashed my face. It is their genetic reserve for the future, of these fish and in a protected stretch of river like this. This is how a creature of this proportion managed to grow so big. This is something that deserves to be experienced here, on our planet. They are doing something incredibly positive for the environment by balancing the ecosystem. This is considered megafauna. This is the top predator within this river ecosystem. And without these fish swimming freely, the river will not be in proper balance. I really can't get over the size of this fish.

There are practically no words that can describe the experience of being in the water with an animal like this. And over the last 24 hours, we've spent a considerable amount of time learning from the guys at Gar. Here we are on our last day checking our final nets and managed to catch a truly epic river monster. An ancient relic, a living dinosaur. We have collected biometric data. And now the time has come for this fish to retain its genetic traits into the future. This has been an experience unlike anything I have ever experienced before. Finally we will be able to see a Gar alligator of truly monstrous size, in its natural habitat.

I'm Katie Peterson, be brave. Stay wild. See you on the next adventure, (laughs) this was something else. (upbeat music) - The current Texas state record, caught on rod and reel. He weighed 279 pounds. While the all-time world record tips the scales at 327 pounds. Our fish was seven feet, five inches long and weighed approximately 220 pounds. So while we won't be receiving any Guinness awards, I think we can all agree that this is a very big fish. - What is it like to swim alongside one of these giants? - Yes, it's like swimming with a dinosaur, swimming with the most amazing animal on the planet. - I mean, this is a great example to show how non-aggressive these fish are.

I mean, literally kiss this guy, this girl on the nose right now. - Blow on the nose. -For anyone who was afraid of Alligator Gars, this shows that Max is inches away from those teeth. There are no signs of any aggression. Incredible. What a peaceful and sensitive being, incredible. Alright, are you ready to unleash the beast? - Yes ready. Alright, here it goes, see you later big shot. - We will never be able to convince all archers to put down their bows, but we can reduce the number of fish they kill. To do that we need fish in wildlife management, not just in Texas, but in every state to include the alligator Gar as a game fish.

What this will do is limit the number of fish that can be caught daily and ultimately annually. It also establishes restrictions that will prevent the unnecessary slaughter of these animals during the breeding season. When they are most susceptible to the atrocities of archers. I know the fight over these regulations will anger. Those who enjoy bowfishing, but it is important for the future of these fish that we preserve the largest breeding individuals, as it is their genetics that will ensure that this species is not on the verge of extinction. If you want to join the fight and

battle

on the front lines of the Gar Wars, I encourage you to take a stand, speak out, sign the petition that will grant the Alligator Gar, a sport fish status, and use your voice on the Internet to share. this link, with as many people as possible.

I think it has awakened a fish conservation force, and we will make a difference so that these fish cannot (indistinctly) be on their own. Together we will create new hope for the future of these living dinosaurs. (Howling Wolf)