Freeing our very own Willy

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Volunteers managed to save a whale along the coastal holiday town's shore last week after it got entangled in fishing rope.

South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) Plettenberg Bay coordinator Jaco Kruger said that volunteers were activated just after 09:00 on Wednesday 6 October following reports of a whale in trouble off-shore of The Waves in Plettenberg Bay.

"SAWDN volunteers launched aboard the NSRI Plettenberg Bay sea rescue craft Leonard Smith and on arrival on the scene, a 7,5m sub-adult humpback whale was found with fishing rope around the tail stock and trailing fishing gear," Kruger said.

"In a difficult and delicate disentanglement operation two kegging lines, with flotation buoys, were attached and the whale, with freedom of movement, was trailed while efforts to cut the fishing line using specialised SAWDN cutting equipment commenced."

While the operation was underway, an adult humpback whale appeared and remained with the younger whale throughout the operation.

"The entangled whale led the sea rescue craft across the bay towards the Beacon Island Hotel and out to sea before returning to the bay," said Kruger.

Multiple cuts were made to the thick fishing rope and eventually, with one final cut, the rope fell away from the whale. "The two whales swam away and SAWDN is confident of the success of this disentanglement operation."

The rope and the fishing gear were recovered for disposal.

The SAWDN was established in 2006 to manage entangled whales using specialised equipment and is comprised of trained volunteers from the National Sea Rescue

Institute (NSRI), Telkom Maritime Radio Services, KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Centre for Sustainable Oceans at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, CapeNature, Mammal Research Institute, SANParks, Saps, Bayworld, various boat-based whale watching and shark cage diving operators, the rock lobster industry and the octopus industry and is fully supported by the Dolphin Action and Protection Group.

SAWDN covers the entire South African coastline and has assisted 209 whales to date.

SAWDN volunteers work on freeing a whale that got caught in fishing ropes along the Plettenberg Bay coastline.