Badly entangled minke young whale freed
An 18-foot young minke whale became entangled in fishing rope and buoys off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and was freed after several days. The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) reported that the whale was first noticed near Cape Cod Bay on September 6, but initial efforts to locate it were unsuccessful. Rescuers from the CCS Marine Animal Entanglement Response team began their search in Provincetown and Truro on September 7.
It wasn't until September 8 that an aerial survey team from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center spotted the entangled minke whale approximately 40 miles away from where it had been initially observed.
Upon reaching the whale, rescuers found that the situation was dire. The heavy fishing gear was lodged around the whale's body, including in its mouth and around its body multiple times. The entanglement was particularly dangerous, as it could have prevented the whale from feeding normally. To ensure the whale's safety, the rescuers had to proceed with caution.
They first threw a grappling hook into the fishing gear to establish control and maintain control if the minke whale suddenly dove underwater. Using a hook-shaped knife attached to a long pole, the team selectively cut through the fishing gear, successfully removing most of the rope.
However, due to the severity of the injuries and the time the whale may have spent carrying the fishing gear, the prognosis for the minke whale was deemed poor. Nevertheless, there was a glimmer of hope after the disentanglement. Once freed, the whale resumed swimming normally, providing rescuers with some assurance that the young animal could still survive despite its injuries.
The Center for Coastal Studies acknowledged the crucial role of the fishermen who initially reported the entangled whale and the aerial survey team that later spotted the whale again, more than 40 miles away. The CCS Marine Animal Entanglement Response program, established in 1984, has since freed over 200 large whales and other marine animals from fishing gear and debris.
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