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Reflection, a large female humpback first seen in 1992, had wraps of line around her flukes from the surface system of lobster gear. She was effectively anchored by the gear that had become slightly embedded within her flukes. Judging from her overall condition and wounds, she may not have been entangled for very long but, seemed tired from struggling. She lay motionless at the surface during most of the disentanglement operation.
After assessing the nature of the entanglement the team observed her
behavior long enough to make a safe approach alongside her by inflatable
boat. Two cuts were made (see diagram below), one to reduce potential
complications and one to free the whale of the gear. Reflection remained
motionless for a few minutes after being freed before moving quickly off.
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