Rescuing a wild animal can be a dangerous activity. But that did not stop Bastien Boudoire and the Sea Shepherds Conservation Society team from doing everything they could to rescue a humpback whale.
Hours before they arrived on the scene, the Sea Shepherds Conservation Society found out a fishing net had snared a whale in the Gulf of California. They would have to act fast if they wanted to help this poor creature.
Humpback whales measure between 48 and 62.5 feet and can weigh up to 40 tons. The Sea Shepherds Conservation Society needed to be careful as they approached the giant creature.
Even though humpback whales are generally peaceful animals, they are still wild. After being caught in a fishing line, there was no telling how the whale would react to the team’s attempts to help.
They approached the whale slowly and anchored their ship to the line that had captured the humpback. Carefully, the team cut off the loose bits of fishing line until only the net was attached to her face.
They pulled closer, letting the trapped whale calm down. When the whale surfaced, the rescuers cut off more of the net. And gradually, the net came loose, and the whale swam to freedom.
After four hours of hard labor and tense nerves, the Sea Shepherds Conservation Society had freed the trapped humpback whale. The team cheered as the animal continued on her journey. “You hear that? The whale is free!”
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