Whale freed from fishing line in Algoa Bay

A humpback whale entangled in fishing line in Algoa Bay was cut free after an extensive rescue operation on Monday.

This comes days after the carcass of a Brydes Whale was found in the Bay — also entangled in fishing ropes and net.

SA Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) and NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that the team was alerted at about 9.30am after reports from a charter boat that a whale was in distress.

Lambinon said that the whale was found thrashing in the water a few nautical miles off the Port Elizabeth Harbour.

“The whale, despite having freedom of movement, was found to be entangled in fishing rope wrapped around the body and a bundle of line on the left fin, the Right pectoral fin and no trailing lines.”

Lambinon said that after several attempts to free the whale, their luck turned after they managed to attach grappling hooks and kedging buoys to the whale in a bid to slow it down.

“Two precision cuts (on the line) were made in the afternoon after a few hours of attempts and the fishing line, including a bundle of line, was cut free from the whale.”

Lambinon described the several hour operation as tricky with rescuers using specialised equipment to free the whale.

Lambinon said that during efforts to free the whale, it began thrashing around and swimming fast.

“The crew of the charter boat were commended with staying with the whale until SAWDN arrived on the scene,” he said.

Lambinon hailed the operation as a success stating that shortly after the whale was cut free, it swam off.

On Saturday, the team were alerted to a whale carcass entangled in the fishing nets of a fishing boat about seven nautical miles from the Port of Port Elizabeth.

The ropes and net were cut from whale and the carcass towed out to sea.

Samples from the carcass were collected for the department of environmental affairs and marine scientists.