Saturday, April 25, 2009

Humpback Whale Rescue, Sandy Hook, New Jersey

Government rescuers released a humpback whale who was entangled eight miles off Sandy Hook N.J. on February 26, 2009.

The humpback whale had become entangled in a lobster pot and netting. The rescuers, from the Massachusetts-based Center for Coastal Studies, worked with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration staff to free the whale.





The whale was described as a juvenile humpback, about 25 to 30 feet long, according to NOAA.

The site is not far from where a family of 16 bottlenose dolphins stayed in two rivers near the Sandy Hook Bay for half of last year, sparking a heated debate over whether they should be removed or left to leave on their own.

Three of the dolphins died, and employees of a nearby restaurant said they saw about five leave the Shrewsbury River and go out to Sandy Hook Bay just before the river froze last month. The fate of the remaining eight dolphins is not known.

2 comments:

Whale Watcher said...

It's great that they managed to save this one. Our whales (southern rights) will start arriving July on, but luckily our bay is not close to the shipping lanes.
htttp://www.hermanuswhales.com

Ken Ronkowitz said...

Whale Watcher

It's good to hear from whale watchers in South Africa! I looked at your site - perhaps one day I will get to your whale coast
http://www.hermanuswhales.com/whalecoast.php