The Whale Museum has shared a shocking video that highlights the gruesome reality of marine mammal entanglement with fishing gear.
The footage shows a humpback whale that has lost its tail swimming south of Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands, Washington.
“Upon first sighting, it appeared normal - but when the whale arched its back for a dive, this individual's injury was immediately apparent,” says the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network on its Facebook page.
“As visible in the video, the fluke has been completely severed off, believed to be the result of a very long-term entanglement in some type of gear.”
This astonishing sight is a stark reminder of the dangerous of entanglement with fishing gear and marine debris.
The San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network adds: “Without its fluke, its ability to effectively migrate, feed and move is seriously compromised and it must expend more energy due to swimming abnormally.”
Main image credit: Spencer Fire
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