‘One whale at a time’: Rescuers reflect on saving entangled Humpback

A young Humpback whale is swimming free again after a delicate and emotionally charged disentanglement operation off the coast of Elands Bay on Tuesday, 17 June.

The 8-metre juvenile had become entangled in heavy fishing rope and flotation buoys — a life-threatening situation for any whale, but especially one so young. It was spotted by the crew of a Purse Seiner fishing vessel, who did exactly the right thing: they called it in and stayed with the animal until help arrived.

NSRI crews from Lamberts Bay, St Helena Bay and Yzerfontein – all trained South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) volunteers – launched aboard Spirit of Saldanha with specialised cutting equipment. With support from Telkom Maritime Radio Services and NSRI’s EOC, they reached the area quickly, largely thanks to the accurate coordinates and ongoing updates from two fishing boats, Annabel Rose and Hesco, who initially came across the whale.

When the team found the whale about a nautical mile offshore, it was clear the situation was serious.

“On arrival, approximately 17 nautical miles from Lambert's Bay, we could easily find the juvenile Humpback whale, which appeared tired, most likely from being entangled for quite some time,” said NSRI coxswain Gerhard Visagie.

The rope was wrapped tightly around the tail and peduncle, with one line cutting in deeply. Team leader Johan Liebetrau explained the initial strategy: “We first noticed that it was not trapped to the seabed, and was still able to swim freely with the ropes around its body,” Johan explained.

“We decided to attach kegging buoys to the lines. This adds weight, slowing the whale down, but also assists in lifting the entangled part to shallower water, making it easier to see what we are dealing with.”

From there, the team worked methodically, making eight careful cuts to free the whale. It was a tense process, not only because of the technical challenges but also because everyone onboard wanted to avoid causing further stress or injury.

“We use specialised cutting equipment… designed with the safety of the animal as top priority,” said Johan.

The whale seemed to sense its freedom as the last rope fell away.

“It was an incredible feeling of joy, relief and gratitude towards all role players who made the operation a success,” said Gerhard. “To be able to see the animal being able to disappear in the ocean freely is what makes us do what we do — one whale at a time.”

Moments like this are only possible through teamwork and trust. The fishermen who stayed with the whale made a critical difference, which both Johan and Gerhard were quick to acknowledge.

“These guys played a big role… If you don’t have eyes on the whale, your chances of finding it are slim,” said Gerhard.

SAWDN and the Department of Environment recovered all rope and buoys for proper disposal. The untethered whale dove and disappeared into the deep – a hopeful ending to a dangerous ordeal.