An endangered whale with a rope tangled in its mouth, possibly for a long time, was freed this week off the coast of Cape Cod by a rescue team, who shared video of the work.
The minke whale had swam at least 40 miles, and possibly many more, with the rope, buoys still attached, in its mouth and wrapped around its body, according to the Center for Coastal Studies.
The roughly 18-foot-long whale was first reported to the Provincetown-based ocean preservation nonprofit last Sunday in Cape Cod, according to the Center for Coastal Studies. Its Marine Animal Entanglement Response Program sent a team out Monday but didn’t spot the animal; they were able to find it Tuesday after an aerial survey team spotted it off Eastham.
The team found the whale badly entangled by the heavy rope, which would have kept the animal from eating, the Center for Coastal Studies said. Their video shows the team, in a small boat, using a hook-shaped knife to cut at the rope.
Center for Coastal StudiesCenter for Coastal Studies
A minke whale entangled in a rope off the coast of Cape Cod on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.
They were able to remove most of the entangled rope, though part of the line, which was deeply embedded in the animal’s flipper, was left there to prevent excess bleeding. The center said the whale’s prognosis was poor, but the whale’s return to normal swimming after the rescue gave them optimism about its chances.
Scott Landry, director of the Marine Animal Entanglement Response Program, said in a statement it was rare for them to be able to find an entangled minke whale again after swimming away from where it was initially reported, and that they were “very lucky and fortunate” the survey team spotted it again.
Boaters can report entangled marine animals to the Center for Coastal Studies by calling 1-800-900-3622 or by radioing the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF 16.