The SA Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) has successfully freed a 14m humpback whale entangled in rope well over 40 nautical miles offshore of the Southern Cape coast, in what was the furthest disentanglement operation to date.
SAWDN spokesperson Craig Lambinon said their volunteers had been alerted at about 9.30am on Sunday by a passing vessel reporting to be 45 nautical miles offshore between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
They had happened upon a whale entangled in rope, with the mammal appearing to be “anchored to the sea bed”.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Plettenberg Bay sea rescue craft Leonard Smith, with SAWDN volunteers and the specialised cutting equipment on board, launched from Plettenberg Bay.
The NSRI Knysna sea rescue craft Colorpress Rescuer launched from Knysna at the same time as a back-up safety boat.
Both sea rescue craft arrived at 1.50pm at the GPS co-ordinates provided by the skipper of the passing vessel.
The SAWDN volunteers found a juvenile humpback whale anchored to the sea bed, with fishing rope around its tail and a single flotation buoy, Lambinon said.
“The SAWDN volunteers got to work and the line around the tail was cut, which freed the whale from the anchored entrapment, and then the flotation buoy was cut. All lines and the buoy cut free were recovered.
“The cutting operation took 20 minutes before the whale was freed from the rope and buoy and the whale swam off confidently. We are confident that the operation has been successful, and the whale appears to be healthy.
‘‘This is the farthest out to sea that a SAWDN operation has been conducted,” Lambinon said.