Southern right whale entangled in ropes spotted off Hangklip

A southern right whale entangled in ropes has been spotted off Hangklip - but the Dolphin Action and Protection Group's Nan Rice has warned the public not to try to free it.

"It is a highly dangerous thing to do," Rice said.

"The whales are in a frenzied state from being entangled and are likely to become very aggressive if anyone approaches them. "An adult's flukes are six metres from tip to tip and can kill someone in seconds."

Rice said a fishing boat crew had spotted the whale off Hangklip on Thursday and reported it to Maritime Search and Rescue.

"It was spotted again by a fishing vessel this afternoon and reported to Pat Stacey at Kalk Bay.

"They said it had ropes around it, not nets, so I'm assuming it must be the lead ropes from crayfish traps.

"I spoke to Mike Meyer from Marine and Coastal Management and he agreed that there really was nothing one could do for the whale."

In the past, there had been instances where whales had killed people who had tried to free them of ropes and nets.

Source: www.iol.co.za