Video shows team freeing young whale from rope entanglement

GLOUCESTER - A team of rescuers freed a young humpback whale from a potentially deadly entanglement off the coast of Massachusetts on Thursday.

Whale watch vessels spotted the 5-month-old calf with rope wrapped around its body near Provincetown on Tuesday, the Center for Coastal Studies said. The whale's mother named Scylla had visible injuries, suggesting she had also been entangled but managed to shed the rope.

Rescuers cut rope off whale calf

The center's Marine Animal Entanglement Response team found the mother feeding with her calf close by. Video taken during the rescue shows how the team freed the young whale.

"Approaching mother/calf pairs is generally fraught with difficulty since mothers can be very protective of their calves," the center said. "While Scylla was preoccupied with feeding, the team was able to carefully approach the calf with a 30-foot pole and cut both wraps of rope encircling its body."

Whale watch crews played role in saving calf

The calf was expected to quickly break loose from a small bit of rope left on its body. The center thanked the whale watch crews for helping to save the calf's life.

"Many thanks go to the whale watch vessels Aurora, Sanctuary, Privateer IV, Whale Watcher and Sea Salt," the center said. "Without their prompt reporting and standing by, this would not have been successful."

Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the biggest threats facing whales. Just in the past week, New England Aquarium researchers reported seeing an young right whale entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There are estimated to be fewer than 360 right whales left in the world.

Boaters who see whales or any other marine life entangled are urged to call the center's rescue team at 1-800-900-3622 or call the U.S. Coast Guard.