Saving the Whale
A family in a boat and a humpback whale in trouble
When Michael Fischbach and his family came upon a humpback whale floating motionless in the Sea of Cortez, they thought at first that she was dead. Looking more closely, and when she suddenly and laboriously exhaled, they realized that she was slowly being dragged down by a huge tangle of fishing line and netting that was wrapped around her fins and tail.
Fischbach is co-founder of the Great Whale Conservancy, whose mission is to make oceans safer for marine mammals worldwide.
So began their effort to free the whale they named Valentina. It took several hours, but Valentina knew Fischbach and his family were trying to help, and she cooperated with everything they were doing cut her free of the fishing net.
And when she was finally free, the grateful, joyful, young humpback whale put on quite a show for them!
Read more about the Great Whale Conservancy here.