The juvenile whale was between 8 and 9m long.
In an act of kindness, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has assisted in the disentanglement of a juvenile Humpback whale measuring nearly 10m in the Eastern Cape.
NSRI Gqeberha and South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) volunteers were alerted to reports to NSRI Emergency Operations Centre of a juvenile Humpback whale entangled in fishing rope on Sunday.
Whale trapped
NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain Stephen van den Berg said the 8.5 to 9m whale had become entangled in the rope of a local fishing vessel.
“The fishing vessel skipper and crew were attempting to assist in freeing the whale from the fishing rope and requested assistance, 18 nautical miles south of Cape Recife. Two NSRI rescue craft, Rescue 6 Alpha and Eddie Beaumont II, accompanied by NSRI SAWDN trained crew with specialised cutting equipment and extra fuel were launched.”
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Rescue
Van den Berg said Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF radio communications.
“On arrival at the scene, in calm seas with 1 to 2m sea swells, we found the whale appearing to be tired and docile, with multiple wraps of fishing rope around the tail. The fishing vessel skipper and crew were hard at work, trying to free the whale.”
Freedom
The whale disentanglement operation was completed at about 3pm.
“After being freed, the young whale seemed to take a while to rest and gather strength before swimming off confidently. The fishing vessel skipper and crew are commended for their care and assistance,” Van den Berg said.
The South African Whale Disentanglement Network was established in 2006 to manage entangled whales using specialised equipment and is comprised of trained volunteers from various organisations including the NSRI, KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, department of forestry, fisheries and environment, Mammal Research Institute, South African National Parks and South African Police Service among others.
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