Sperm whale entangled in rope dies after stranding
Volunteers remove remaining lengths of rope from the whale after it was found stranded on Monday
- Published
A sperm whale that was entangled in ropes has died after it became stranded on a shore of the island of Raasay.
The 15m-long (49ft) animal was spotted in difficulty off nearby Skye on Thursday.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) found it was trailing ropes up to 20m (66ft) long and managed to cut five ropes from the animal on Saturday, but some remained around its head.
It was discovered on Monday on the shoreline near Oskaig, on Raasay's west coast, and later died.
- Published1 day ago
- Published17 July 2023
Sperm whales are a deep-diving species and adult males can grow to 18m (59ft) in length and females 11m (36ft).
They can dive to two miles (3km) underwater to hunt squid.
Highland Council has responsibility for disposing of the Raasay carcass.
A spokesperson said: "Our environmental health officers are liaising with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (Smass) team over the incident.
"The council has a duty to dispose of carcasses resulting from whale strandings and will make preparations once the full extent and size of the whale is established.
"A range of disposal options will be considered."
Highland Council is considering options to dispose of the whale
The stranding follows other recent incidents involving entangled whales.
In February, two fisherman rescued a humpback whale found entangled in creel fishing gear off the coast of Skye.
The creel fishermen had been working further south when they received a report of the entangled whale.
A single rope had become anchored around the tail of the humpback.
In January, BDMLR freed a humpback whale entangled in ropes at a Skye salmon farm.
The animal was spotted in difficulty at Organic Sea Harvest's Invertote site near Staffin in the north of the island.
BDMLR said the rope was wrapped around the whale's head and left fin.
Entanglements
SixHumpbacks are estimated to be involved in entanglements in Scottish waters each year
30The approximate number of minke whales involved in the same type of incidents annually
83%Of reported minke incidents, and 50% of humpback, involved creel lines
![In numbers:. Entanglements [ Six Humpbacks are estimated to be involved in entanglements in Scottish waters each year ],[ 30 The approximate number of minke whales involved in the same type of incidents annually ] [ 83% Of reported minke incidents, and 50% of humpback, involved creel lines ], Source: Source: Estimates of humpback and minke whale entanglements in the Scottish static pot (creel) fishery, Image: A humpback calf swims below the surface of the sea.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/920/idt2/idt2/f44e3d58-9296-492c-9147-00994c1d34e6/image/460)
These entanglements can involve creel fishing gear or ghost gear - rope and nets that have been lost or abandoned by fishing boats.
A sperm whale that died after stranding on the Isle of Harris in November 2019 had a 100kg "litter ball" in its stomach.
Fishing nets, rope, packing straps, bags and plastic cups were among the items discovered in a compacted mass during an investigation by Smass.
A large number of entanglements involve humpback and minke whales.