A young humpback whale has been successfully rescued off the coast of British Columbia following a challenging operation by dedicated rescuers. The four-and-a-half-year-old whale, named Tutu, was found entangled in fishing gear by coast guard employees on a sailboat. The rescue effort, led by Paul Cottrell from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), involved a multi-day operation near Black Creek on Vancouver Island.
Despite Tutu’s strong resistance, the team persisted in freeing the whale, which required three days of intense efforts. Initially, approximately 100 meters of rope was removed, but the process was halted overnight due to the challenging conditions. The team resumed their mission the following day near Port McNeil, working tirelessly for nine hours to release the remaining gear.
The operation was complicated by Tutu’s energetic movements, requiring caution and precision from the rescuers. By attaching a satellite tag to one of the remaining lines, the team planned to track and complete the rescue the next day. However, to everyone’s surprise, Tutu managed to free himself overnight by unwinding the remaining gear on his own.
Although Tutu sustained minor lacerations from the ropes, experts believe he will recover fully and continue living a healthy life. This successful rescue is part of ongoing efforts by fisheries teams to disentangle humpback whales in the region, with a recent increase in entanglements due to the return of humpbacks to the Salish Sea.
The rise in whale rescues is attributed to the resurgence of humpback populations in the area, following decades of decline caused by commercial whaling. With the growing number of whale interactions with marine debris, experts urge the public to take measures to prevent entanglements by properly disposing of materials that pose a threat to marine wildlife.