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Rescue teams sent to rescue an entangled whale found off the coast of Newport Beach were unable to free it from the rope, and the whale has not been seen for days now.
Experts say the whale, a 40-foot-long, approximately 5-year-old humpback, is likely in distress because it has a rope wrapped tightly around its right fin and extending from its mouth.
Jessica Rodriguez, education and communications manager for Newport Landing and Davies Locker Whale Watching, said, “They’re so stressed, confused, and tangled that they don’t realize we’re trying to help them.” ” he said.
Experts said the humpback whale, about 5 years old, was likely suffering because a rope was tightly wrapped around its right fin.
(Molly Butts / Davie’s Locker Whale Watching)
Rodriguez said whale watchers first spotted the mammal on Dec. 2, but it wasn’t until Sunday that they noticed the rope as the whale was poking out to the surface.
“We were like, ‘Oh, we’re so intertwined,'” she said. “The rope is wrapped very tightly, almost like a tourniquet wrapped around a flipper.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was called in to try to rescue the whale, which weighed between 50,000 and 60,000 pounds, but the team was unable to cut the rope with a knife.
Rodriguez said the crew had to cut the rope near the whale’s eye, creating a dangerous situation for the whale and the rescue team alike.
The whale was last seen on Tuesday. It has not been found since.
Observers say more humpback whales than usual have visited the coast of Orange County this year.
“I’ve been working in this area for 10 years and I’ve never seen humpback whales at such a bad level,” said wildlife photographer Mark Girard. “But they’re here, and it’s incredible.”
Humpback whales chase schools of anchovies, often breaking through the water to catch small fish.
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