The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has confirmed its crews have successfully disentangled a juvenile humpback whale along the West Coast in the Western Cape. 

The whale was caught in fishing rope and flotation buoys. 

On Tuesday, June 17, NSRI station 24, Lamberts Bay, NSRI station 44, St Helena Bay, and NSRI station 34, Yzerfontein, were alerted by South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) following reports from a Purse Seiner fishing vessel offshore, North of Elands Bay, of a whale entangled in fishing rope and flotation buoys.

NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said NSRI crew members were trained by SAWDN for these incidents. 

“Crews from all three NSRI stations responded to the NSRI Lamberts Bay station 34 rescue base, where the NSRI rescue craft Spirit of Saldanha was launched, accompanied by NSRI crew (who are all trained SAWDN crew) and accompanied by the specialized SAWDN cutting equipment. Telkom Maritime Radio Services, NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), and NSRI headquarters operations assisted in communications and logistics,” Lambinon said. 

On arrival at where the whale had been spotted, a search commenced, and the eight-metre juvenile was located approximately one nautical mile offshore, 17 nautical miles south of Lambert’s Bay. 

Lambinon said the whale appeared to be tired and lethargic, most likely from being entangled for quite some time. 

“A kegging buoy and an extra flotation buoy were attached to the existing entangled fishing rope to increase the whale’s buoyancy and to limit movement of the whale further. This was a precaution, as the whale was already not moving around much,” Lambinon said.

Team leader from NSRI Yzerfontein, Johan Liebetrau, said a number of cuts needed to be made because of the multiple wraps of fishing rope around the whale. 

The NSRI rescue craft coxswain, Gerhard Visagie, gently maneuvered the NSRI rescue craft alongside the whale, and the crew began the challenging task of cutting free the entangled fishing rope cautiously in an effort to prevent injury to the whale while maintaining safety on the NSRI rescue craft and NSRI/SAWDN crew.

“The whale appeared to cooperate with the extensive efforts that were being employed to cut free the stubborn wraps of thick fishing rope. In total, eight cuts were made before all fishing rope and flotation buoys were successfully cut free from the whale.” 

“All of the fishing rope and flotation buoys were recovered for investigation and disposal by SAWDN and the Department of Environment. Efforts were made to catch up with the whale after all wraps of fishing rope were cut free and recovered, but the young whale had sped off, swimming confidently and diving, without hanging around and without any hesitation,” Liebetrau said. 

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL

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