Entangled Humpback Whale Rescued in Spain
On Friday, a rescue mission was a success for an entangled humpback whale in Cala Miller, Spain. The whale was spotted by the Nereida vessel, which informed the appropriate authorities. The Palma Aquarium Foundation and Maritime Safety Agency assessed the whaleβs situation and went to action. With the help of local diving teams, they were able to rescue the whale.
Albatros Diving Center has been around since 1993. In 2019, when the owners decided to retire, Remco and Goffe from the Netherlands took over. Since then, they have offered customers diving, snorkeling, and private cave tours. Along with their daily diving excursions, they also help Palma Aquarium Foundation in rescue missions. On Friday, they worked with divers from Skualo Porto Cristo to help the entangled humpback whale shed all its drift nets.
The 9-meter humpback whale was fully entangled in drift nets and other debris. There was even netting around the whale’s mouth. After a few minutes, the whale recognized that the team was there to help. The experienced divers cut the netting off and freed the entangled humpback whale. There is nothing like a good whale rescue that goes smoothly and has a happy ending. This enormous whale is lucky to live another day, tangled free of 15 meters or gill nets.
Fishing Change
When will we decide to change our fishing ways? When will we decide that drift nets are harmful to our ocean life and stop using them? I believe itβs time to make some changes to how we fish. Otherwise, we will see more of helplessly entangled whales, and most of them wonβt be as lucky as this one in Spain. How do you think we can improve our fishing ways and end drift net entanglement?
