CHATHAM, Mass. (WPRI) — A humpback whale has been rescued off the coast of Cape Cod after a fisherman saw the animal entangled in heavy rope and dragging a large buoy.
A Marine Animal Entanglement Response team (MAER) from the Center of Coastal Studies (CCS) was able to begin the process disentangling the humpback after a commercial fisherman reported it Wednesday night. The whale was then tracked through the night and completely untangled by Thursday morning around 9:30 a.m.
The team reportedly cut off most of the rope, leaving a single piece as a preventive measure to stop massive blood loss. That rope should detach by itself overtime, according to the CCS.
As described by the CCS, the whale was tangled with five tight loops of rope and the rope was embedded within the base of it’s tail. The whale’s tail, called a fluke, as a result, was cut off from the whale’s blood flow making it useless for swimming.
The “whale was making way by dog paddling with its right and left flippers,” said the CCS.
Scott Landry, Director of the MAER team, noted that, while the overall condition of the young whale appeared to be healthy and alert during the disentanglement, the long term prognosis for the whale is not very good, as it’s possible it may lose its flukes entirely.
Boaters are urged to report any entanglement sightings of whales, sea-turtles and other marine animals to the Marine Animal Entanglement Reponse Hotline, 1-800-900-3622, or the US Coast Guard and to stand by the animal at a safe distance until trained responders arrive.
