A mother humpback whale that had been swimming with hundreds of feet of fishing line tangled around her body is finally free.
According to NOAA, it took rescuers six hours to remove an estimated 550 feet of fishing line and marine debris that had become tangled around the whale’s head and mouth.
The agency released a video from the rescue effort, which took place in the waters off West Maui, Hawaii, including footage of NOAA responders using poles to remove the ropes wrapped around the mother whale. The tangled humpback’s calf and a male humpback escort kept her company while rescuers removed the fishing gear.
NOAA via Storyful
After rescuers removed the heavy equipment, “the mother and her calf went into resting behavior, with the calf tucking under the mother’s chin,” according to NOAA’s release.
The agency added that both the humpback whale and her calf have a better chance of surviving in the wild now that the mother animal is untangled.
NOAA is trained to respond to whale entanglements and has the permits required to assist marine mammals.According to ABC News, it is a federal crime to approach a humpback whale if you are not permitted to do so.
Not all animals get the opportunity to get untangled after encountering fishing gear.A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale gave birth entangled in fishing ropeand is still caught in the equipment because it is too unsafe for the whales and responders to attempt a rescue.
NOAA is keeping tabs on the whale,dubbed Snow Cone, and her calf. The agency recently spotted the pair off the coast of Florida. While the mother whale right whale is still entangled, both her and her calf were reportedly in good health, according to NOAA.
source: people.com
