A Whale of a Tale!

Not sure what you were doing New Year's Eve, but these folks had a whale of a time. They were out in the Atlantic trying to save a young whale, and they've got quite a tale to tell.

The 34-foot right whale was first spotted Dec. 6 off the coast of North Carolina with rope wrapped around its head and body. On Dec. 21 it was spotted again, off Georgia. A team from the Wildlife Trust, the New England Aquarium, the Center for Coastal Studies and NOAA attached a telemetry buoy to the rope, which trailed behind the whale. They waited for weather and sea conditions suitable for an up-close encounter.

Meanwhile, the whale headed south to Jacksonville, Fla., then went north again. By the end of the year it was off the coast of South Carolina.

The rescuers got into position and spent a night on the water with the whale. The entanglement was one of the worst they'd ever seen, and hopes were dim. They attached buoys and anchors to the rope to control the whale, which for a time towed the inflatable boat around. Then, just as the rescuers were set to remove the rope and other gear, the whale broke loose.

And how did the whale celebrate the new year? It took off immediately and disappeared below the surface, officials report.

The rescue team returned to Charleston with 550 feet of lobster rope.

North Atlantic right whales were hunted to the brink of extinction by the early 20^th Century. Even today, there are only about 300 of them, scientists estimate.

-- Robert Roy Britt

Photo credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission/NOAA Fisheries