A humpback whale trapped in an illegal fishing net was set free after a rescue team set out to save it in the Gulf of California in Mexico on Feb. 19.
The whale was tangled in a gillnet, which is commonly used by poachers. The net hangs vertically in the water, trapping fish by their gills.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society set the 10-metre long whale free by cutting the net, which was stuck on the whale’s nose.
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“It was heartbreaking to see this whale entangled in a net, but we managed to save it and after four hours of hard work, the whale swam free!” the rescue group posted on Facebook.
Last year, the Mexican government banned the use of gillnets, often used to catch fish for the black market in Asia.
The vaquita, a small and highly endangered porpoise native only to the northern Gulf of California, is reportedly frequently caught in the illegal nets.