Young Humpback Whale Rescued in Boston After Being Entangled for Days

A young humpback whale has finally been freed after being entangled in a fishing gears foe the better part of the week. The Marine Animal Entranglement Response team of the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) entangled the whale in Boston on Dec. 11.

According to a press release from CCS sent to Nature World News, the humpback whale was first discovered by local fishermen on Thursday last week, but due to bad sea conditions, the response team had to postpone its rescue operations.

To disentangle the humpback whale, the MAER staff used a hook-shaped knife that's connected to a 30-foot pole to make two cuts on the rope that has wrapped around the tail of the young humpback whale.

The response team monitored the 30-feet humpback whale upon being freed and said that the animal will take time to heal. The Humpback Whale Studies team of the CCS will attempt to identify the whale and continue to check on its progress.

The CSS are urging more fishermen and boats to report any marine animals (e.g., whales, sea turtles, etc.) to report any cases of entanglement to MAER by calling its hotline at 1-800-900-3622. They could also call the US Coast GuarD on VHF 16.

"The Center for Coastal Studies is grateful to the commercial fisherman for reporting and standing by this whale, and to the Massachusetts Environmental Police and the US Coast Guard for their help in this case," the center wrote.