Humpback whale that ‘thanked’ divers after being rescued from fishing nets, died a week later: ‘This is really frustrating’ | Sciences
Unfortunately, the 14-meter-high humpback whale that washed up on a beach in the Spanish province of Valencia on Thursday was not rescued. A week ago, divers had come to the aid of the giant off the coast of Mallorca, as it had become entangled in an illegal fishing net.
Divers were called from the Palma Aquarium on May 20 to help a humpback whale in need. The whale swam with its mouth into an illegal fishing net off the coast of Mallorca and could not turn around. The ship’s crew discovered the animal and reported it to the Coast Guard, but they were unable to help the marine mammals. Marine biologist Gigi Tauras, 32, and her colleagues succeeded.
air bubbles
The animal was very nervous for the first ten seconds. “You can tell how many air bubbles you’re producing,” Torras told the British News Agency. independent† After that, the whale seemed resigned to his position and became very calm. “It was like he knew we were there to help. He calmed down until we started cutting the nets,” the scientist said.
Thank you
The job was done in about 45 minutes. After the rescue, the humpback whale stayed on the spot for some time to recover. According to Tauras, the marine mammals made a gesture that looked like a thank you, after which the humpback whale swam away.
all’s well That ends well? Unfortunately not, because six days later the giant 30-ton ship washed up on a beach in Tavernes de la Valdegna, a coastal town in the Spanish province of Valencia, more than 300 kilometers away. The animal was very weak and showed several wounds on the dorsal fin. He died shortly after the humpback whale was found last Thursday.
drift net
The news that hits Torres hard. It’s awful. This is really frustrating.” According to the experts, the washed animal did not have a chance, and therefore no attempt was made to return it to the sea. “We were causing more injuries and deteriorating further. It might have been washed again the next day.”
The main culprit in this story is the floating web that the humpback whale had previously entered. Since 2002, such nets, hanging like a curtain in the water, have been banned in European waters. Drift nets kill all kinds of cetaceans and other animals that must surface to breathe. “I hope this story opens people’s eyes to the damage such nets can do to the oceans,” Torras concluded.
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