Crews Rescue Entangled Humpback Whale Off Chatham
CHATHAM (CBS) - Crews from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies managed to free an entangled humpback whale Friday afternoon off Chatham.
A line that was attached to heavy gear on the ocean floor was caught in the whales mouth and wrapped around its head, making normal breathing difficult for the animal.
Crews used a grappling hook and a hooked knife at the end of a thirty foot pole to cut the rope and free the whale.
The whale was identified as Serengeti, which has been seen recently in local waters. It suffered some cuts and bruises, but the team expects the whale to make a good recovery.
This was the Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) Team's second rescue in two days.
On Thursday, they were able to disentangle another humpback whale in the same area.
The team says the Coast Guard, local fishermen and recreational boaters all helped out in that rescue.
