November 15, 2013 — Even after a juvenile humpback whale was cut free from a fishing line about two nautical miles east of Manasquan, it didn't realize it was free, said an official who led a rescue effort on Friday.
"It didn't realize it wasn't tangled anymore, it had to be coaxed" to swim away, said Scott Landry, Center for Coastal Studies, Director, Marine Animal Entanglement Response Program, during a media conference call Friday afternoon.
Landry and a colleague in a small, inflatable boat gently used the boat to coax the whale away and when it realized it was free, it swam away at a high rate of speed in a southeast direction, Landry said.
“I think this whale is likely going to be fine,” said Landry “The prognosis for this whale is quite good. We're optimistic."
The line that had been kept the juvenile whale, about 30 to 35 feet long, tangled up for at least 24 hours was slashed with one cut and the animal was free, Landry said.
Read the full story at the Galloway Patch