Entangled humpback whale freed thanks to Campobello rescue team
A young humpback is once again swimming free in the Bay of Fundy after a memorable day on the water for whale watchers.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mackie Greene, director of the Campobello Whale Rescue Team, said calls started coming in on the hotline from people on whale-watching boats who witnessed the young mammal swim into fishing gear.
"They were watching this whale and [saw] it get tangled up," Greene said. "It was a real fresh entanglement."
Greene and his team were able to respond within half an hour and arrived just as the fog was rolling in.
This young humpback whale was entangled in fishing gear Tuesday afternoon. (Submitted by Campobello Whale Rescue Team)
"We were real thankful that the whale watch boats from Saint Andrews were able to stand by the whale until we got there and stood by with us while we were trying to do the rescue."
The humpback had one large orange float hanging from its left flipper and was in distress, thrashing in the water as it "was dragging a lot of weight."
"He was staying on the surface a lot, and you could tell he was really stressed out."
As the whale watchers looked on, Greene and his team were able to use a "cutting grapple" to cut one line and the whale swam out of the gear.
From left, Mackie Greene, Moira Brown and Robert Fitzsimmons of the Campobello Whale Rescue Team. (Submitted by Campobello Whale Rescue Team )
"Something you don't realize is just how big they are — until you get that close," Greene said. "I still try not to look at the whole whale. I try to look at just the rope that we're going for."
Greene said visibility on the water hit zero as they wrapped up the rescue but spirits were high as the whale disappeared into the fog.
"There's no feeling like it really," Greene said of the successful disentanglement. "It feels really good to know you're helped one of these animals."
