A humpback calf was freed from fishing gear after getting entangled off the coast of Vancouver Island Monday, and the rescue was caught on video.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said the calf and its mother were spotted in Barkley Sound near Folger Island, which lies west of Bamfield.
The calf had “several wraps of line around the base of the tail and the flukes,” spokesperson Lara Sloan said in an email Thursday.
The DFO’s Marine Mammal Rescue team responded along with a patrol vessel and Canadian Coast Guard crew, who deployed a satellite tag and maintained watch on the mother and her calf.
The rescue team then spent six hours removing and untangling the fishing gear before the calf was successfully freed.
The mother stayed close to keep “a watchful eye,” the DFO said.
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After freeing the calf, the family swam off into the distance.
The DFO says fishing gear is often a danger to whales and other marine life, particularly calves.
Anyone who sees a trapped, injured or stranded whale in B.C. can report it to the DFO by calling the Marine Mammal Response Network at 1-800-465-4336.
More information can be found on the DFO’s website.