A juvenile humpback whale was safely released after becoming caught up with an anchor line near one of Marine Harvest’s empty aquaculture sites at Klemtu, British Columbia.
Following Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO) marine mammal distress reporting guidelines, DFO was immediately contacted by site staff to assess the situation. Soon after, Marine Harvest staff and DFO experts successfully freed the whale. During the rescue, witnesses noted the whale had been compromised by a collection of marine debris near its fluke. All debris was removed.
Over the past month, local residents had reported a similar-sized humpback whale swimming lethargically and thought to be entangled with marine debris.
Agencies/Canadajournal