Humpback Whale Rescue Underway

A group of Icelanders are headed out to sea to rescue a humpback whale that has been tangled in netting for as long as two months.

RÚV reports that the whale is badly injured, entangled in netting in Faxaflói Bay, and has been spotted by whale watchers over the past two weeks. It is believed, however, that the whale has been ensnared for as long as the past two months.

“We are fully aware that this is very complicated,” María Björk Gunnarsdóttir, project manager at Icewhale, told reporters, adding that there is no certainty the whale can even be rescued.

Attempts were made two weeks ago by the Icelandic Coast Guard to save the whale, who did manage to cut away some of the netting. The Coast Guard have been successful at this task before, but this time, they will have the help of experts from The International Fund for Animal Welfare and The British Diving Marine & Life Rescue.

While MBL reports that the team have located the whale, its ultimate fate is still uncertain. The net has reportedly dug deep sores into the whale, and it is unknown how much the whale has been able to eat in these circumstances, if anything.