Whale gets tangled up in rope in Table Bay

A 15-meter-long Southern Right whale was found entangled in rope in Table Bay on Wednesday morning, the SA Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) said.

The Transnet National Ports Authority discovered the whale caught in many thick ropes and alerted the network, spokesman Craig Lambinon said.

The rope covered the under-belly and was wrapped around the animal's tail.

"The whale appeared to be lethargic and gave us the impression, from its calm demeanour, that it was tired and may have been entangled for quite some time and we feel that the whale is in a poor condition," Lambinon said.

The rope had cut into and become embedded in the whale's blubber.

"In total 27 cuts were made in attempts to free rope from the whale."

The SAWDN was able to remove large sections of the rope. They were optimistic about the whale's prospects, but concerned about the pieces of rope that remained embedded in the blubber.

The SAWDN has as its members volunteers from organisations including the National Sea Rescue Institute, SA National Parks, the environmental affairs department, and the police.