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by Mick the Ram
A caring team of lifeboat volunteers came to the rescue of a distressed humpback whale that had become wrapped up in fishing lines in Cornwall, south west England.
The large adult mammal had been spotted by a wildlife-watching company in a bay off the small port of Newlyn, near Penzance, who then alerted the boat crew.
The ropes had entangled themselves between the whale’s head and dorsal fin, which was having the effect of weighing the creature down, although fortunately it was still able to surface and breathe.
In an extremely dangerous procedure a marine diver was able to cut the humpback free.
Sightings of these whales have increased significantly in the last five years around the county of Cornwall, with at least 30 recorded over the winter period alone.
Fantastic job
The whale was given the name “Ivy” and almost as if it was out of a typical family movie with a happy ending, it appeared to flap its tail in a move that might have been interpreted as a thank-you. However, experts gave a more technical explanation which was that it was simply thrashing to ensure it was able to swim freely.
The distress of the entanglement was compounded by a nasty wound on the creature’s body, possibly received in its attempts to free itself from the ropes that are used to connect crab and lobster pots to buoys, but the rescuers did a fantastic job and quickly were able to release the whale.
Extremely dangerous procedure
Dan Jarvis, from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), confirmed its specialist team had been called to assist in the operation. He also explained how “incredibly risky” carrying out this procedure could be. “Experienced rescuers in other parts of the world, like Canada, have been killed doing this type of rescue,” he was keen to point out.
Global warming behind humpback presence
This incident highlights the dangers that marine wildlife and whales in particular, face from human activities, including fishing trawlers and lost nets.
“Ivy” had been seen in recent weeks along the Cornish coast. The humpbacks would normally migrate further south around this time of year to breed, but it is believed that because of global warming its food source is reduced further north, so they haven’t been able to build up the fat stocks to be able to travel as far south as usual.
This has lead to them stopping around the southern English coast, before continuing their journey.
Distinctive features
Humpback whales are incredibly distinctive, with their knobbly faces and huge bodies that can grow up to 17-18 metres in length, flanked by long, white pectoral fins which are around a third of their entire body length.
The “knobbles” on their faces are known as tubercles and are actually enlarged hair follicles, which can be used as sensory receptors.
Long way from normal habitat
They get their name from the small “hump” on their back on which their small dorsal fin sits. Humpbacks are known for their energetic displays, breaching out of the water and slapping their pectoral fins. They feast on fish and krill before travelling to tropical seas to give birth.
Their lifespan can be anywhere between fifty and seventy five years. They are commonly found feeding off Iceland, southern Greenland, Norway, Svalbard and east of Canada and the US.
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