Edited by Bev Mortimer:
In two separate whale disentanglement operations on Wednesday this week, offshore of Cape St Francis, and on Saturday, 19 July, West of Gqeberha respectively, NSRI volunteer duty crew and SAWDN trained NSRI crew, successfully disentangled an adult Humpback whale caught in fishing gear, and a juvenile whale caught in fishing rope
* NSRI Station 21, St Francis Bay: NSRI St Francis Bay freed an entangled whale offshore of Cape St Francis.
The St Francis NSRI team launched Spirit of St Francis III with NSRI trained SAWDN crew onboard and had SAWDN specialised cutting equipment on board , after being alerted about a large whale entangled in fishing gear and trailing floatation buoys in deep sea offshore, about 4 nautical miles South West of the Paradise Beach water tower.
The NSRI were alerted by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Port of St Francis Port Control and by local fishermen. Assisted by local fishing vessels and private craft, the NSRI rescue team started a parallel sweeping line to search for the whale about 5 nautical miles South offshore of Cape St Francis lighthouse.
The NSRI team found the large Humpback whale, about 12-15 metres in length, entangled in fishing rope. Nearby was a larger whale.
The NSRI team successfully released the fishing rope from the whale by cutting the rope in four segments. All fishing rope, fishing gear and flotation buoys were recovered.
The whale appeared to swim away confidently accompanied by the larger whale that had remained nearby during the disentanglement operation, the NSRI says.
The successful disentanglement operation was completed at 11.08 am and the NSRI returned to base ahalf hour later.
The NSRI commends the assistance of the local maritime and fishing community that swiftly raised the alarm.
* NSRI Gqeberha: Stephen van den Berg, NSRI Gqeberha duty coxswain, said: at 9.20 am on 19 July, NSRI Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers were alerted by MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) of a whale entangled in fishing rope and flotation buoys.
A local fishing vessel was on the scene, between Kini Bay and Bushy Park, maintaining visuals of the juvenile Humpback whale that appeared to be entangled in fishing rope, fishing gear and trailing flotation buoys.
Fishing vessels in the area requested assistance.
The NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Alpha was launched from the NSRI Gqeberha station 6 rescue base, accompanied by SAWDN trained NSRI crew and the SAWDN specialised cutting equipment, while the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 6 Charlie was launched from the NSRI Gqeberha satellite station at Noordhoek Ski-Boat Club.
An NSRI Gqeberha rescue vehicle was dispatched to assist with marine VHF radio communications, in cooperation with Telkom Maritime Radio Services, and NSRI coast watchers assisted with visuals from the land side.
On arrival on the scene a juvenile Humpback whale, about 9 to 10 meters in length, was found close offshore in the surf zone in heavy sea swells appearing to be entangled in 3 wraps of fishing rope and trailing flotation buoys. A large number of whales were noted to be in the area.
The NSRI rescue craft that was in the surf zone, was during a lull in between incoming breaking wave sets able to get in between the land side and the whale and was able to gently guide the entangled juvenile whale further out to sea to a safe area away from the heavy breaking sea swells. The SAWDN trained crew got to work, using the specialised SAWDN cutting equipment.
Three fishing ropes were cut free from the whale, using the specialised SAWDN cutting equipment, successfully releasing the whale from the wraps of fishing rope.
Although the young whale appeared to be tired the whale swam free appearing to rejoin a large number of whales nearby that were further out to sea.
All fishing rope, fishing gear and flotation buoys were recovered and returned to one of the fishing vessels.
The operation was completed at 11.49 am and the NSRI rescue craft returned to base and closing at 2.5 pm.
SAWDN and NSRI commend the fishing vessels that were in the area for swiftly raising the alarm and remaining on site to guide the rescue crew to the affected whale.
The cooperation of MRCC, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, SAWDN coordinators, SAWDN crew, local fishing vessels, the NSRI coast watchers and NSRI Gqeberha rescue crew are commended for the successful operation that saved the young whale.
About SAWDN: The South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) was established in 2006 in order to manage entangled whales using specialised equipment and is comprised of trained volunteers from the – National Sea Rescue Institute, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Department of Environment, Centre for Sustainable Oceans at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Nature, Mammal Research Institute, South African National Parks, South African Police Service, Department of Forestry Fisheries and Environment, Bayworld, various Boat Based Whale Watching and Shark Cage Diving Operators, the Rock Lobster Industry and the Octopus Industry and fully supported by the Dolphin Action and Protection Group.
St Francis Chronicle 