BOSTON (WHDH) - A group on a whale-watching boat in the Boston Harbor spotted a humpback whale tangled in a fishing line.
Naturalist Laura Lilly from Boston Harbor City Cruises was one of the people on the Wednesday morning cruise.
“So we were looking for this particular whale that was in the harbor, and we document and photograph all of the whales that we see. And upon review of my photos, I looked back, and I noticed that it had a fishing line on its tail,” said Lilly.
The crew reported the sighting to the Center for Coastal Studies Disentanglement Team, who said that these spottings are not uncommon in heavily used boating areas.
“We do know these entanglements can be chronic, and the whales live with it for sometimes months if not years and continue on as best as they can,” said Lilly
With whale sightings becoming more and more common across Massachusetts, including in Plymouth, where a whale recently breached on a boat, experts are urging boaters to remain vigilant.
“It is the law all around the country to not to harm or harass a marine mammal, which does include whales, so approaching too closely or cutting off their path of travel, doing anything that might alter or change their behavior or certainly injure them, that’s all considered harassment,” said Lilly.
Experts advise that fishermen pull up their gear if they see a whale or avoid fishing in the area where they are.
If anyone sees a marine animal in trouble, authorities ask them to notify the harbormaster.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)