JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. — A trained team of responders worked to successfully untangle a North Atlantic right whale 13 miles east of Jekyll Island in January, according to a press release from NOAA.
On Jan. 20, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission whale survey aircraft sighted an entangled North Atlantic right whale 13 miles east of Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Responders and trained experts from multiple agencies worked from boats with specialized tools to remove approximately 375 feet of rope that was passing through the whale’s mouth and dragging hundreds of feet behind its flukes.
After this entanglement response, only a short segment of rope remained in the whale’s mouth.
Authorities say based on similar incidents, responders are optimistic the remaining rope will dislodge on its own.
NOAA Fisheries will examine the removed rope to determine its origin, if possible.
Officials say photographs of the whale were matched to a 15-year-old adult male known as #3812 in the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog and nicknamed “Nimbus.” His last known pre-entanglement sighting was August 8, 2022 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada.
Fishing gear entanglement is one of the leading causes of North Atlantic right whale mortality and injury. Significantly reducing entanglement risk is critical to the species’ recovery.
While many people empathize with the animals and want to help, untrained members of the public should not attempt to free entangled whales.
The best way that you can help is by reporting sightings of entangled whales to the local entanglement response network. Then, stand by until response team members arrive, and provide any photos or videos to NOAA Fisheries.
