researcher have managed to rescue a humpback whale that was entangled in ropes . The hulk , which was hogtied from oral cavity to give chase , had also sustained trauma from a shark bite . The whale cursorily swam out of the area once it was freed .
The animal was first recognise by researchers from theCenter For Coastal Studies(CCS ) last Saturday ( July 11 , 2015 ) in Stellwagen Bank , Massachusetts Bay . The investigator werestudyinggases emanate by humpback whale whale when they came across the trammel puppet .
It was found essentially immobile as the ropes prevented it from swimming or using its ass for defense . Researchers do n’t know how long the whale had been entangle for . The whale was trapped at a popular feeding ground , where a lily-white shark that assess 4.5 metre ( 15 feet ) in length prowl nearby .
Entangled humpback whale , disentangle by Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement Response squad . Image credit : NOAA permit 18786 .
The Marine Animal Entanglement Response team from CCS were able to cut the rophy from the mouthpiece of the whale using a bait - mold knife while aboard their 10 - beat ( 33 - foot ) response vessel . researcher usually use an inflatable boat in entanglement missions , but they were forced to use the vessel to protect themselves from the shark . While these types of rescues are not rare for CCS , the broadcast ’s conductor Scott Landry toldThe Washington Postthat though they ’ve been doing this since 1984 , “ this is the first metre , in our noesis , that we ’ve had a white shark around us . ”
The shark eventually moved out of the arena . The whole process is thought to have taken around three minute . shark killing entangled whales is currently an ongoing problem in Australia , and could become more frequent in Atlantic waters , according to Landry . They ’re far more likely to attack young or vulnerable whales – like the trapped whale – than intelligent adult . Landry read in astatementthat the whale was “ incredibly golden ” and would have credibly been wipe out if it had not been unblock .
