Whale was ‘anchored’ to seafloor by rope as orcas approached — then help arrived

Rescuers fought to save an entangled humpback whale off the coast of South Africa — in a mission complicated by prowling orcas and a protective whale pod.

The “challenging and difficult” operation took place Sept. 2 near Cape Recife, about 500 miles east of Cape Town, according to a news release from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), a maritime rescue charity.

After being alerted to a distressed whale in the area by anglers, an NSRI vessel was dispatched to the scene.

“We found a large Humpback whale entangled in fishing rope trailing a floatation buoy and appearing to be anchored to the seabed by one of the fishing ropes,” the NSRI said.

“The affected whale had space for movement and was swimming around in wide circles — confirming that the whale was anchored to the seabed by one of the fishing lines,” it added.

Rescuers, equipped with specialized cutting tools, began trying to free the marine creature — but then things took a turn.

Another humpback already at the scene — believed to be the entangled whale’s mate — was joined by two others, who were “most likely concerned for the wellbeing of the entangled whale.”

These three whales positioned themselves between the entangled whale and the rescue craft, posing a challenge to the mission.

Still, the vessel captain was able to maneuver around them, and rescuers began cutting away at the knotted fishing line.

“While cutting on the fishing rope at least 5 Orcas then arrived on the scene,” the NSRI said. “We assume they had come to take a look (at) what was going on.”

Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been known to prey on humpback whales, according to LiveScience.

But, the other humpbacks at the scene seemed to rally to the entangled whale’s defense.

They “appeared to chase the Orcas away,” the NSRI said, adding “the Orcas were not seen again.”

Finally, after four hours of “extreme challenging conditions” — during which several tools were lost — the entire entanglement was removed.

“When we finally cut away the last fishing line that was anchored to the seabed the affected whale and the remaining whales dived under water and swam off not be seen again,” the NSRIsaid.

Humpback whales — which are found throughout all the Earth’s oceans — regularly face threats from entanglements with fishing gear, in addition to vessel strikes and ocean noise, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Globally, an estimated 300,000 cetaceans die every year as a result of entanglements and bycatch, according to the International Whaling Commission.

This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Whale was ‘anchored’ to seafloor by rope as orcas approached — then help arrived."