Massive sea creature was anchored to ocean floor by rope. Watch divers step in

Divers off the coast of Namibia freed a humpback whale that was entangled in a large mass of rope, video footage shows.

The animal was spotted on Sept. 10 by a charter boat company near Walvis Bay, a coastal city located about 500 miles north of the South Africa border.

The company reported the whale to Ocean Conservation Namibia — a marine wildlife nonprofit — and they quickly dispatched a dive team to the area, according to a news release from the organization.

“Within 20 minutes we had our dive gear and tools ready and jumped on board a boat … ” the release stated.

A video posted by the nonprofit shows several divers swimming toward the whale, which was floating motionless along the surface.

Not only was the animal wrapped up in “a huge bundle of thick rope,” but it was anchored by the rope to the sea floor, trapping it in place.

Using specialized knives, the divers began cutting away the coiled and knotted rope, the video shows.

Much of the entanglement was also removed by people on the charter boat, the release stated.

Once enough lines were cut, the animal was eventually freed, according to a news release from Catamaran Charters.

Video shows it slipping beneath the surface, away from the divers.

The rope was identified as belonging to a defunct mussel farm.

“This is a strong reminder again that serious action needs to be taken to remove miles and miles of abandoned aquaculture gear from the Walvis Bay area,” the release stated.

Worldwide, an estimated 300,000 cetaceans — which include whales and dolphins — die annually from entanglements in fishing gear and trash, according to the Marine Mammal Center, a nonprofit.

This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Massive sea creature was anchored to ocean floor by rope. Watch divers step in."