From Ghost Whales, to Kumbuka, the 400 pound Silverback Gorilla that escaped from the zoo in London, this is TRENDING TUESDAYS ! 4. Some bad news for one of the world’s true natural wonders … There are reports that the Great barrier Reef has been pronounced dead after yielding to coral bleaching … but other experts contend that the reef is still on life support. Coral bleaching occurs when algae living in their tissue is violently expelled, and causes them to turn white … without the algae, the coral is drained of its nutrients and pigment. The condition is a response to changes within the environment, likely brought about by climate change … it causes ocean temperatures to become so warm that corals expel their algae. The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 1,400 miles, and it’s estimated that over 90% has been affected by bleaching. A few pictures illustrate the before and after conditions of the reef … Areas that contained rich coral gardens in the 1950s have been replaced by algae and rubble. Even as recently as 2010, corals appeared vibrant and healthy. Efforts to turn this situation around are estimated to cost at least $8 billion dollars … Do you think that’s enough to make the Barrier Reef ‘great’ again? 3. Cryptid Update -- You might recall a few weeks back we ran an episode of Crypto Fun Friday that featured a cryptid called the Beast of Bodmin. It was a big cat rumored to lurk in Cornwall England. We followed up that story on an episode of Trending Tuesday that explained those big cat cryptids could be real … it turns out many of the creatures were released from the Dartmoor Zoo in the 1980s with a few managing to survive. Well now we’ve got a followup story to that cryptid mystery. Jonathan Downes, an expert in unknown animals, claims that leopards and pumas are actually breeding in the British countryside. And data reveals that police are receiving reports of big cat sightings every week! An explanation might have to do with the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, which the UK imposed in 1976. That legislation forbade (for-bad) keeping potentially dangerous animals as pets without a license. It’s possible that such animals were released by their owners, or from zoos, as we mentioned previously. Do you think the big cat cryptids are real after all? 2. ***Swimming With Sharks -- Here’s a story that makes you believe in miracles. A diver was trapped inside a small steel dive cage with a great white shark … and escaped unscathed! In happened in the waters of Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico. Video of the incident went viral over the weekend. A shark-watching expedition was filming footage of the predators eating habits. A 10-foot great white shark swam to capture bait placed near the cage … But the animal suddenly thrust forward, breaking a metal rail and entering the cage with the diver, who then found himself outside the enclosure … Where he saw another two sharks, circling underneath him! That sent him swimming back into the safety of the cage. Meanwhile, the boat crew opened the dive cage escape hatch … and the trapped shark forced itself free and fled the area. There were some tense moments as the crew waited for to the diver to emerge … Once he did … clapping, cheering and many sighs of relief could be heard. Despite that near-death experience, the diver said he plans to swim with the sharks once again! 1. Great Ape Escape -- A 400-pound silverback gorilla named Kumbuka made international headlines last week when he escaped from his enclosure at the London Zoo. Witnesses said that people were taking pictures with their flashes, and banging on the glass … and that may have prompted the gorilla to lurch toward the glass and charge against it, causing the glass partition to crack. But that’s not how the gorilla escaped. He made a dash for freedom after a door apparently had been left open at the enclosure called Gorilla Kingdom, where the ape lives. The incident prompted officials to put the zoo in lockdown mode while they searched for Kumbuka … in effect, making humans and animals fellow captives in the zoo. Around 100 visitors were locked into various enclosures while staff hunted for the gorilla. Armed police were dispatched to the scene to track down the gorilla … and that evoked memories of Harambe’s fatal shooting. But this great ape escape only lasted around 90 minutes. Kumbuka was re-captured unharmed and veterinarians tranquilized him before returning him to his home. As zookeepers repaired the damage caused by the agitated ape, Kumbuka was eating his lunch … and no doubt wondering how many memes he has thus far inspired! Have you heard any good ones? Let us know in the comments! Subscribe to Epic Wildlife http://goo.gl/6rzs5u Let's Connect -- http://www.epicadamwildlife.com/ -- http://www.facebook.com/epicadamwildlife -- http://www.twitter.com/epicwildlife -- http://gplus.to/epicwildlife