Sights from the scene of the disentanglement effort. Photo taken by the Center for Coastal Studies under NOAA permit 24359.
PROVINCETOWN – Response teams with the Center for Coastal Studies aboard the vessel Ibis ventured into windy conditions this past weekend to disentangle a young right whale towing a buoy in its wake.
The call came in on Saturday, January 17, when a Plymouth resident watching a group of whales with a spotting scope reported the unusual sight in Cape Cod Bay.
Soon after, the Marine Animal Entanglement Response team made contact with the whale, later confirmed as the 2025 calf of the right whale Monarch, and began the arduous process of removing fishing gear that had wrapped around its tail.
The team was able to partially remove the whales’ trappings and disengage the buoy, but at last contact some wrappings remained around the tail, which the team said may eventually shed on their own.
The Center plans to remain vigilant, in hopes that future sightings of the whale aid in future assessments of its health.
Citizen reports can be the difference between life and death for entangled right whales, those who witness an entanglement are urged to report incidents involving whales, sea-turtles and other marine animals to the MAER team at 1-800-900-3622 or the US Coast Guard on VHF 16.
About Matthew Tomlinson
