A sperm whale has become entangled in fishing ropes off Skye.
The 15-metre-long whale was originally spotted on Thursday, February 27, off the east coast of the island.
This was reported to British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which dispatched the dedicated large whale disentanglement team.
Working with drones and several boats, the team assessed the whale’s condition, with the animal appearing weak and not swimming strongly.
The rescuers found that several fishing lines were wrapped around the animal, which was trailing 10m to 20m of rope.
Sperm whales are known to be unpredictable, especially when entangled, so the rescuers had to act with extreme caution.
Due to poor weather conditions, the team had to make a number of trips out until they were able to mostly disentangle the whale on Saturday, March 1.
The rescue team said: “[We] managed to cut five wraps of rope forward of the pectoral fin and one of the trailing lines.
“There are at least two wraps and one trailing line left, though we are hopeful these will come off on their own.
“Straight away after removing the worst of the entanglement, the whale became more active, swimming faster and for longer.
“BDMLR would like to thank Stardust Boat Trips and SeaSkye Tours, as well as the Isle of Skye community, who offered their help to assist the animal.”
“If you see a stranded or entangled whale contact BDMLR’s emergency helpline on 01825 765546.”
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