Whale with 280 feet of fishing rope in its mouth is saved

Wildlife experts have saved the life of an endangered right whale which had 280 feet of fishing rope caught in its mouth.

The whale was spotted by navy aircraft dragging hundreds of feet of the commercial fishing line in the sea off the coast of Georgia in the United States

Experts from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission then began a rescue that led to nearly all the rope being removed.  It is hoped that the whale will be able to free itself of the remaining line.

Only around 500 North Atlantic right whales remain, making these whales among the rarest in the world. Entanglement aside, collisions with ships, or ‘Ship strikes’ are one of the top threats to their survival. WDC is once again calling on the public to take action. We are asking that people ’Act Right Now’ by going to our signing our petition before March 3rd 2014 and ask the US authorities not to weaken these vital protections and to protect this critically endangered species of whale.