Maitlands whale drama
A SEVEN-metre juvenile whale was saved from a potentially torturous and drawn-out death following a rare, but successful rescue operation carried out in difficult conditions off Maitlands River Mouth.
The rescue of the young humpback whale, which involved members of the Port Elizabeth National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and the South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN), is believed to be the first "professional" operation of its kind in Nelson Mandela Bay waters since the establishment of SAWDN in the Western Cape in 2005.
SAWDN members have undergone specialised training and use specialised equipment in potentially very dangerous whale disentanglement operations. According to NSRI national spokesman Craig Lambinon, local SAWDN representatives, including members of the NSRI, were alerted to the plight of the whale, which was entangled in rope, two flotation buoys and a float, at 3pm on Monday. The whale was spotted about 200m off Maitlands River Mouth, west of the city.
"The NSRI sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV and the Raggy Charters boat Winkel, carrying volunteer members of SAWDN, arrived at the scene in fading light, at about 5.10pm.
"At that stage there was only about 40 minutes of daylight remaining. The rope was wrapped fives times around the peduncle [where the tail joins the tail flukes], the head and the mouth. The whale was swimming but appearing burdened by the entanglement," Lambinon said.
He said an extensive disentanglement process was started using specialised equipment. The whale was finally freed from the rope after a 40-minute operation.
"The whale surfaced next to the sea rescue craft and then began to swim around in larger and larger circles before disappearing into the night. It appeared to be getting stronger and swimming more confidently as it progressed and SAWDN is optimistic that the operation has been successful," he said.
Raggy Charters owner and SAWDN member Lloyd Edwards said the distressed whale had been reported by a Maitlands Hill resident.
"It had fought so fiercely that it had pulled the ropes tight and the body was bent in a U-shape. It must have been in immense pain.
"Although protocol dictates that the operation should be carried out by two boats, due to the deteriorating light it was decided to start cutting the ropes immediately," he said.
"This was done after consultation with the head of SAWDN, Mike Meyer. The nylon cables were no match for the blades of the specially designed knives."
Edwards suspected the freed whale was the same one reportedly seen entangled from a helicopter west of Cape St Francis on July 22.
"This animal must have been tethered in this U-shaped position for at least seven days," Edwards said.
Speaking from Cape Town yesterday, Meyer said an average of 14 serious whale entanglements were recorded each year, but that they were relatively rare off Port Elizabeth.
"We need people to keep their eyes open for whale entanglements. In Port Elizabeth, they can contact Bayworld, the NSRI or Raggy Charters," he said. - Shaun Gillham
