Off the Massachusetts coast, rescuers freed a young humpback whale after fishing gear left it stuck in place.
The whale was found struggling in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in June, and crews later freed it by cutting away rope tangled at its tail.
What happened?
The rescue response began the morning of Sunday, June 14, when recreational boaters spotted the distressed whale and alerted the U.S. Coast Guard.
From there, word reached both NOAA Fisheries and the Center for Coastal Studies. State environmental police happened to be patrolling the area and watched over the animal until the Center's disentanglement crew could arrive, according to the Center for Coastal Studies.
Multiple loops of rope had wrapped tightly around the whale's tail, pinning it in place, the center said.
Responders came up from behind the animal and sawed through the tangle with a hooked blade mounted on a pole until it broke free.
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The whale didn't swim off right away. It stayed near the surface, motionless, before the crew watched it finally swim away on its own.
Why is this concerning?
Whale entanglements are especially dangerous because they can keep animals from swimming normally, feeding normally, or avoiding other threats. In severe cases, ropes and lines can cut into tissue, cause infections, and lead to exhaustion or death.
This case was especially concerning because the same young humpback had already been spotted with "deep but healing wounds" from an earlier entanglement.
Lost or active fishing gear can keep harming marine animals long after it enters the ocean, and busy waters like Stellwagen Bank can make it harder for a struggling whale to recover without help.
The initial call from boaters got trained crews to the scene in time.
What's being done?
The rescue itself came down to a specialized disentanglement team, using tools and techniques built for large marine mammals. Experts strongly discourage untrained people from trying to free an entangled whale on their own, since the work is technical and dangerous.
The Coast Guard, NOAA Fisheries, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the Center for Coastal Studies all played a role in monitoring the whale and supporting the rescue response.
Anyone who spots a whale, a sea turtle, or any other marine animal tangled up in gear should keep their distance and call it in to the Coast Guard or the Center's disentanglement hotline.
"It was really great that so many people and institutions helped out in this case," said Bob Lynch, the Marine Animal Entanglement Response assistant director, according to a Center for Coastal Studies press release. "The whale has a much better prognosis due to that."
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