The Chilean navy released video Wednesday showing the rescue of a humpback whale which had become tangled in fishing lines.
According to a statement from the Armada De Chile, the mayor of Lennox Island, Magallanes Region, informed naval officials that the fishing boat Lanco had spotted a humpback whale trapped in fishing lines Wednesday afternoon.
When the Chilean naval vessels Hallef and Archangel arrived on the scene, they found the whale had become hopelessly entangled in multiple fishing lines, and appeared to be having difficulty breathing.
The extent of the trapped whale’s predicament was such that sailors were forced to dive into the water to conduct a risky rescue operation, cutting the fishing ropes by hand.
The video was shot by sailors aboard the Hallef as the sailors swam about the stranded whale, trying to cut away the lines while being ever-mindful of their proximity to the trapped ocean giant.
Eventually, the divers were successful and the whale was freed.
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