A humpback whale entangled in fishing rope, South of Cape Recife in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, was set free thanks to a rescue mission.
It took rescuers from the South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) four hours before the mighty whale was released.
It all began in the morning of 2 September when fishermen aboard a fishing vessel, the Louisa Claire, reported that a humpback whale was trapped by fishing rope deep out at sea in Cape Recife.
“On arrival at the scene, in open water, we found a large humpback whale entangled in fishing rope trailing a flotation buoy and appearing to be anchored to the seabed by one of the fishing ropes,” said Craig Lambinon, spokesperson for the NSRI.
Rescuing humpback whale beset by challenges
The rescue efforts proved challenging with a seal swimming around and the trapped whale’s mate hovering around. Two additional whales made an appearance and watched on while the entangled whale moved around in wide circles.
The three whales continuously obstructed the NSRI rescue boat when it attempted to get closer to the trapped whale.
“Despite these extreme challenges, we were able to attach grappling hooks to one of the trailing lines – with rope attached that were carrying larger floatation buoys – this to aid us in slowing the affected whale down a bit – but the whale continued to swim around in circles,” said Lambinon.
The three whales in the vicinity blocked the path of the NSRI rescue boat. Eventually, the team cut through the tangled mass of rope.
In the midst of the rescue, five orcas dropped by and were immediately chased away by the three onlooker whales.
After four hours of challenging work, rescuers cut the fishing rope of the whale.
“When we finally cut away the last fishing line that was anchored to the seabed, the affected whale and the remaining whales dived underwater and swam off not to be seen again,” said Lambinon.
He indicated that the trapped whale seemed healthy and strong throughout the rescue operation. He was confident that no harm came to the whale while entangled.
He praised the fishing vessel for sounding the alarm and guiding the rescue team to the site where the whale was trapped.
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