Endangered Whale Entangled in Fishing Rope for Months Reappears With Calf off Cumberland Island

An endangered whale entangled in fishing line for months was spotted by authorities off the coast of Cumberland Island, Georgia, with a new calf on December 2.

The North Atlantic right whale – nicknamed Snow Cone – was first seen entangled in fishing gear in Cape Cod Bay on March 10, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Georgia DNR).

The department said several disentanglement attempts were made and the trailing rope the whale was caught in was shortened.

Georgia DNR said the calf seen in this footage is new and is not entangled, “but has been observed swimming in, through and around the ropes.”

“Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, like lobster and crab pots, are major threats to North Atlantic right whales, which are critically endangered,” Georgia DNR said. Credit: Georgia Department of Natural Resources via Storyful