Kayakers reported the presence of two distressed whales near the Penn Islands, east of Campbell River, off Vancouver Island.
The rescue mission lasted five hours but proved successful: agents from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Cetus Research & Conservation Society managed to free two whales entangled in fishing gear near Campbell River, off Vancouver Island.
The two mammals, named Raza and Mogul, were bound together, which surprised the specialized rescue teams. They had been trapped for over a day, dragging approximately 100 meters of fishing gear behind them, according to Paul Cottrell, Marine Mammal Coordinator at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
« I’ve always rescued one whale at a time. It was crazy to have two. »
— Paul Cottrell, Marine Mammal Coordinator, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
While the exact cause of the entanglement remains unknown, Paul Cottrell speculates that the first whale may have carried a fishing buoy, which then ensnared the second whale as they swam together.
Source: ICI Radio
