The whale-watching boat Máni reached the distressed humpback whale shortly before 10 a.m. yesterday.
Photo/Courtesy of Freyr Antonsson
Rescue crews will attempt today to free a humpback whale that has been trapped east of Hrísey since yesterday morning, after poor weather conditions made rescue efforts impossible throughout the day.
“We’re hoping it’s managed to hold on until today so we can help it. We said yesterday that we didn’t want to lose another humpback in Eyjafjörður this year, so we really hope this ends well,” said Freyr Antonsson, owner of Arctic Sea Tours in Dalvík.
Unclear how the whale became trapped
The crew of Máni, the company’s whale-watching boat, first spotted the animal around 10 a.m. yesterday, struggling to stay afloat to breathe. It was clearly stuck by the tail.
The captain of Máni reported the incident to the Icelandic Coast Guard at 10:20 a.m., and about an hour later, the Dalvík search and rescue boat Vörður arrived at the scene.
Captains from Arctic Sea Tours then went out aboard the company’s other vessel, Dögun, along with diver Erlendur Bogason, carrying equipment to cut the whale loose and an underwater drone. That was the last update Morgunblaðið received before they had to abandon the effort due to rough seas and bad weather.
No sign of fishing gear
Antonsson says it remains unclear what the whale is entangled in, though it’s evident the tail is trapped.
“We couldn’t see anything above the surface indicating what’s holding it. There were no signs of fishing gear, so at this point we simply don’t know what the humpback has caught itself in,” he said.
The whale appears able to breathe without too much difficulty, though the strain is audible in its blows, he added.
Rescuers plan to head back out at first light this morning, around 8:30 a.m., to continue efforts to free the animal.