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Young Humpback Freed From Rope Off Massachusetts Ahead of Storm
- Maris Balsom
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
A whale rescue off the coast of Massachusetts drew attention after responders worked against the clock to free a young humpback whale tangled in fishing rope before a storm moved in.
What Happened
Boaters spotted a struggling humpback in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, an 842-square-mile protected area between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. The Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies sent out its Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team to respond.
With storms forecast for the following evening, the team had a narrow window to act. When they reached the whale, the center described it as a relatively small animal with rope wrapped around the base of its tail, holding it in place.
Photos and video from the scene show the rescue crew working from a small boat, using a hook-shaped knife mounted on a 30-foot pole to cut through the line. After multiple careful cuts, the rope came loose, and the team stayed nearby to confirm the whale was swimming again before leaving.
Whale watchers had reportedly been calling the MAER hotline over the month of June after noticing deep wounds on the animal from an earlier entanglement.
Why It Matters
Entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels remain among the leading threats to whale populations worldwide. Healthy whale populations play a role in supporting ocean ecosystems, along with the coastal economies, tourism, and fishing industries that depend on them.
This incident comes shortly after a separate case in Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence, where a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was spotted with fishing gear caught in its mouth, according to CBS News.
What Responders Are Saying
Researchers involved in the rescue said the humpback has a good prognosis despite injuries from the entanglement.
Maria Harvey of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, who assisted with the operation, said it was a privilege to help the whale and noted the value of the ongoing collaboration between the two sanctuary teams.
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