A whale had been struggling to swim with a tangled fishing net wrapped around its tail. Thankfully, a group of brave divers helped the gentle giant. Hopefully, the whale is okay now.
Off the coast of the Italian island Lipari, a Sperm whale faced the consequences of illegal fishing. It spent a considerable amount of time trapped up by unwanted human materials. The large net covered most of its tail and caused visible irritation.
Along with the net, there were heavy brass balls that also inhibited the whale's actions. With an ocean home once vast and undisturbed, it is heartbreaking to witness the extent to which fishing has taken over and affected sea creatures.
Whale tries to escape from net | Photo: Youtube/Reuters
THE GENTLE GIANT
Many viewers instantly pointed out the calm and gentle nature of the whale. It was stated that the creature clearly knew what the divers were doing and accepted their kind attempts to be of assistance.
Despite perhaps having faced prior harm from other humans, this whale kept still so the group of divers could help. They made good and quick work, cutting away the net until the creature was completely free.
CLEVER ANIMALS
One user commented: "I love this! It demonstrates how intelligent whales really are." Many users agreed with this sentiment. Not only did the animal keep still while the divers were busy, but it also didn't try to hit them with its tail.
Many animals have a great capacity for understanding and empathy. Some users wondered if the whale made any "thank you" noises after being freed from the net. They said: "Would have liked to have heard its sounds after [being] freed!"
Whale freed from fishing net | Photo: Youtube/Reuters
HELP THE OCEAN
There is an increased need to help our oceans and their beautiful inhabitants. Videos like these demonstrate how severe conditions in the underwater world have become.
One online user expressed:
"Throwing our plastics away in the ocean (of which a good percentage is fishing nets) is of huge disrespect to these animals."
Whale stuck in fishing net | Photo: Youtube/Reuters
NOT UNCOMMON
Animals above and underwater have experienced an increasing onslaught to their environments and their population numbers. Whales are not the only creatures that struggle with the shocking amount of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Another clip showed how a small fish was trapped inside a plastic bag. The tiny creature could not swim away and only managed to survive because of a kind diver. These incidents are not uncommon and require more global attention.
Fish stuck inside a plastic bag | Photo: Reddit/ThatDapperMosquito
THE UNLUCKY ONES
The whale rescue was successful, as was the incident with the small fish and the plastic bag. Viewers could enjoy the joyful footage of both animals swimming away happily. Reports also stated that a few other whales were waiting close by for their friend.
Sadly, these happy stories are rare and not the reality for most of the underwater world. Sea creatures now face entrapment by plastic and other human materials at an alarming rate. Hopefully, these videos shed some light on a growing environmental problem.