Watch: Rescuers free entangled minke whale off Cape Cod, tell me about this news in (https://www.kcci.com/article/entangled-minke-whale-rescued-massachusetts/73712278)

In September 2026, marine rescuers from the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team worked to free an approximately 18-foot minke whale severely tangled in commercial fishing gear off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.Key details of the rescue:

• Initial Sighting and Journey: The entangled whale was first reported just before sunset in Cape Cod Bay by recreational fishermen. Over the next two days, the whale swam more than 40 miles while dragging the heavy gear.
• Relocation: Rescuers initially could not locate the animal off Truro and Provincetown, but an aerial survey crew from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) spotted it swimming off Nauset Inlet in Eastham and circled overhead until the rescue boat arrived.
• The Entanglement: Responders discovered that heavy rope and buoys were wrapped multiple times around the whale’s body and caught inside its mouth, which prevented it from feeding.
• The Operation: Using specialized equipmentincluding a thrown grappling hook to secure a control line and a hook-shaped knife attached to a long polethe team carefully cut away the majority of the lines and buoys.
• Outcome and Condition: Rescuers deliberately left a small section of line that was deeply embedded into wounds near the whale’s left flipper, as pulling it free risked causing severe hemorrhaging. While experts noted the whale’s overall prognosis remains guarded due to its injuries, it resumed normal swimming movements once the main drag was removed.