HULL, MASS. (WHDH) -
A young humpback whale was rescued after getting tangled in fishing line outside Boston Harbor.
Fishermen found the whale east of Hull on Sept. 6 and reported the sighting to the US Coast Guard, according to the Coastal Studies Center blog post. The Coast Guard then alerted the Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement Response team. Despite being entangled, the 30-foot whale swam swiftly and dove out of the US Coast Guard’s view after CCS was alerted. Thanks to boaters in the area, the entanglement team was able to locate the humpback four miles southeast of where it had last been seen.
Using large floats and a grappling hook latched to the ropes to slow the whale, the entanglement team was able to cut the ropes. The gear came off within minutes, and the whale sped away.
The team assessed that the whale had bitten down on the buoy line of fishing gear, allowing the ropes to twist around its head and tail.
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