On Saturday, 21st March, at around midday, NSRI Yzerfontein's SA Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) volunteers were activated to launch the sea rescue craft SPIRIT OF IFFLEY to assist fellow SAWDN volunteers, with a SAWDN whale disentanglement operation for a juvenile Humpback whale entangled in rope and floatation buoys in the vicinity of Dassen Island.The operation continued until after 18h00 and all rope and floatation buoys were removed and recovered successfully. On Friday, 20th March, SAWDN volunteers had launched to respond to the same whale but only one rope could be removed and the operation continued on Saturday. The whale was mobile, and led the operation back and forth around Dassen Island while rope and floatation buoys were gradually removed using specialised whale disentanglement equipment and the whale appears to be healthy and it appears that the operation has been successful.THE SOUTH AFRICAN WHALE DISENTANGLEMENT NETWORK IS A VOLUNTEER NETWORK THAT BEGAN IN 2006 MADE UP OF VOLUNTEERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS - OCEANS AND COASTS, NSRI, THE DOLPHIN ACTION AND PROTECTION GROUP, TELKOM MARITIME RADIO SERVICES, SA NATIONAL PARKS, THE SA POLICE SERVICES, RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS, THE NATAL SHARKS BOARD, TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARKS, WEST COAST WILDLIFE RESCUE AND A HOST OF VARIOUS MARINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONESMS 32287 with your name and a message of support for our Sea Rescue crew. SMS/R1.
Photograph by Vic Warrington.
