Volunteers respond after distressed whale is found in life-threatening situation: 'Potentially risky'

Wildlife rescue volunteers rescued a humpback whale dangerously entangled in rope in a "potentially risky" but completely worthwhile endeavor.

The BBC reported that a humpback whale was spotted in distress by Organic Sea Harvest, a UK-certified organic salmon fishing company, near one of their sites in the waters on the north end of the Isle of Skye off the coast of Scotland.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was contacted and arrived to help the whale, which had rope wrapped around its head and left fin that snagged on a chain anchoring a buoy.

A spokesperson for Organic Sea Harvest told the outlet, "It was this existing entangled rope which caught onto the farm moorings as it swam by. Thankfully the BDMLR team were not only able to free the whale from the salmon farm, but they were also able to free it of the other ropes it had been carrying."

Martin Boon of BDMLR explained during BBC Radio's "Good Morning Scotland" that the mission was "potentially risky" due to the size of the animal. "If it thrashes about and it catches anybody in the team, that's not going to end well," he said.

He said the group utilized a technique to cut the rope wrapped around the whale, which takes poles with special knives attached to slice the rope in a specific sequence to ensure the whale is freed and no lingering ropes are left.

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Fishing line and rope entanglements are a frequent threat to humpback and other whale species, impacting calf production and shortening life spans. Many of these instances are attributed to "ghost gear," which makes up an estimated 10% of all marine plastic pollution, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Unfortunately, the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates around 650,000 marine animals are killed every year by abandoned fishing gear.

Thankfully, organizations like BDMLR are supported by staff and volunteers who aim to prevent these deaths and rescue animals like the humpback whale, which appeared to be a newly weaned juvenile.

Successful rescues have recently been completed in Australia, South Africa, and Boston, among other efforts.

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