Crossbow frees whale from rope snare

St Louis Globe Democrat: Crossbow frees whale from rope snare

PROVINCETOWN, Mass., May 5 (UPI) -- A crossbow tipped with razor blades was used to slice a rope from the upper jaw of a right whale ensnared off Massachusetts, authorities said.

The female whale, nicknamed Wart, was evasive and a team from the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies had tried several times to approach her, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

"Entanglements can kill a whale over time by cutting into the whale and introducing infection. We've seen quite a few right whales die of exactly this kind of entanglement," said Scott Landry, director of the Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team.

Saturday, Landry opted for a crossbow with an arrow with four razor blades and a stopper placed just below the tip to prevent it from entering Wart. When Wart surfaced, Landry fired once and sliced the rope free from Wart's jaw.

"Truth be told, it was very difficult. It all happened very quickly," Landry said, noting Wart was not touched.

Tuesday, an aerial team spotted a right whale it believed was Wart. The whale was free of all ropes, Landry said.