Washed-up whale had become entangled in ropes from Nova Scotia
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A YOUNG humpback whale washed up at Scrabster beach was found to have died by drowning after becoming entangled in fishing ropes.
The finding was made by the attending pathologist after the whale had been examined by a team from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme on Thursday.
The ropes have since been traced to Nova Scotia in Canada.
Measuring just under nine metres, the young cetacean had been spotted floating out at sea on the Tuesday and was later reported after being washed up on the beach at Scrabster on Thursday morning.
Ellie Maclennan, a project coordinator for the Scottish Entanglement Alliance, said: “Unfortunately we have had a bit of a run of entanglements lately – this is the fourth [in Scottish waters] in the last six weeks. This time it has been static fishing gear and was ropes rather than netting.”
Following the completion of the investigation, the project coordinator said: “We have tracked it back to Nova Scotia.”
Unfortunately we have had a bit of a run of entanglements lately – this is the fourth in the last six weeks.
She went onto say that the fisherman in question was “gutted” about what had happened and felt that the line is likely to have been cut loose by a boat propeller and then drifted further out to sea.
Ellie pointed out that the distance from Canada to the north of Scotland would be a long way for a whale to swim, particularly a young one, and the injuries on the juvenile humpback were only a few weeks old.
She added: “We will never know where it got entangled in the gear.”
Other recent entanglements have occurred in Dunbar, Iona and Barra.
