On Sunday, a young humpback whale was successfully rescued from entanglement in fishing gear near the Massachusetts coastline.
The Center for Coastal Studies, located in Provincetown, reported that boaters discovered the “relatively small whale” in distress within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, an area spanning 842 square miles between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. The Marine Animal Entanglement Response team quickly mobilized and located the whale, which was ensnared by a rope around the base of its tail, effectively immobilizing it.
Given the impending storms forecasted for Sunday evening, the center emphasized the urgency of the situation. Rescuers employed a hook-shaped knife attached to a 30-foot pole to execute a series of cuts, successfully freeing the whale. The team remained on site until the whale regained the ability to swim freely.
Researchers are optimistic about the whale’s recovery despite its injuries from the entanglement. The center noted that whale watchers had contacted the MAER hotline multiple times over the past month, as the whale displayed significant wounds from a previous entanglement incident.
A member of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary participated in the rescue efforts. Maria Harvey expressed her gratitude, stating, “It was an honor to help this whale and great to continue the collaboration between our teams.”
Entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels remain critical threats to whale populations. Just last week, a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was spotted off Cape Cod with fishing gear lodged in its mouth in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.
