The South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) and various NSRI teams have saved 209 whales from nets and fishing lines.
Plettenberg Bay, South Africa (07 October 2021) – The South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) has played a vital role in saving whales from fishing nets and lines. The team comprises several organisations, working to ensure every whale found in distress is freed.
The team use specialised equipment and spent hours working to untangle the poor creatures caught up in man-made pollution.
The NSRI Plettenberg Bay team shared a successful disentanglement that took place yesterday at 09h17. SAWDN volunteers were activated following reports of a whale entangled in fishing rope off-shore of The Waves, Plettenberg Bay.
SAWDN volunteers launched aboard the NSRI Plettenberg Bay sea rescue craft Leonard Smith, and on arrival on the scene, a 7.5-meter sub-adult Humpback whale was found with a fishing rope around the tailstock and trailing fishing gear.
The whale was assessed and found to have two kegging lines, with floatation buoys tangled around its body. A nearby adult accompanied the young humpback whale. The pair swam near each other for the entire duration of the rescue mission.
“The entangled whale led the sea rescue craft across the Bay towards the Beacon Island Hotel and out to sea before returning to the Bay.
Multiple cuts were made to the thick fishing rope and eventually in a final cut the rope fell away from the whale and the rope and the fishing gear were recovered for disposal.
The 2 whales swam away and SAWDN are confident of the success of this disentanglement operation.”
This is yet another successful disentanglement. In fact, it is rescue number 209!
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The SAWDN was established in 2006 to manage entangled whales using specialised equipment. They work with highly trained volunteers from several networks, including:
- National Sea Rescue Institute,
- Telkom Maritime Radio Services,
- KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board,
- Department of Environmental Affairs,
- 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 Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries,
- Bayworld,
- Various Boat Based Whale Watching and Shark Cage Diving Operators,
- The Rock Lobster Industry and the Octopus Industry and,
- Dolphin Action and Protection Group.
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