A race against time: An entangled humpback whale rescue in Iceland
In the wild, untamed waters off Iceland’s coast, nature’s raw beauty and vulnerability collided in a heart-stopping drama that unfolded before our eyes. As a visual storyteller dedicated to illuminating nature’s messages, I found myself thrust into a whale rescue story more urgent and real than any I could have imagined.
This is the story of the relationship between humans and marine mammals. One that perhaps shifts perspectives. With a humpback whale rescue, its fate threatened because of humans and the remarkable rally of humans that saw collaboration lead to the best possible outcome.
The Call to Action
It began with a sighting at 11am. Judith Scott a local guide with Laki Tours spotted the humpbacks behaving strangely and as one humpback took a dive, the two buoys went with it. She reported it to Whale Wise and we liaised with MAST. A department of the Icelandic Government to rescue the whale.
By 12:52pm, the Icelandic government received word that the whale was dead. We were all devastated.
But nature, in its resilience, had other plans.
At 1:10pm, a video from a local fisher, Baldur Steinn Haraldsson, surfaced showing the whale very much alive. Though motionless in the water, its blowhole was active and its entanglement evident. This was the turning point. The moment when human intervention could tip the scales between life and death.
The timeline was tight, but it was a ray of hope. Intuitively. I knew the whale was alive, I just sensed it. I’m a Marine Mammal Medic with British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and the first thing you look for when triaging an animal is its breath. Given this whale was logging on the surface, it wasn’t using much energy to float and its blowhole would not be below the surface to show any blow when it exhaled. This was the hypothesis we hoped would prove correct. As land-based observations declaring it dead wouldn’t have been able to detect its breathing without seeing the blow.
In any live incident, conflicting reports can emerge and could have led to a premature conclusion that could have sealed its fate.
A community mobilises
With time ticking away, we were already en route from Ísafjörður at 1:30pm, a two-hour journey ahead of us. En route, we reached out to BDMLR. Whose Large Whale Disentanglement Team supported us in how to assess the entanglement and feed this information to the Icelandic Government.
Arriving on scene around 4pm, Whale Wise launched a drone and using the 7x zoom so not to distress the whale. We confirmed what we had hoped. The whale was alive, albeit motionlessly logging on the surface, surrendering to the ropes that bound it.
After updating the Icelandic Government, they were not sure if they could mobilise a team because of a human emergency that the responders were attending. We agreed to observe the whale and keep updating each other.
Gathering for a group hug and sending out positive energy to the whale. We would do all that we could to ensure it was rescued. It was an emotional moment.
A ray of hope
As we continued our vigil from the shore, an unexpected ray of hope appeared on the horizon. At 5:30pm, a rib boat emerged from the base of the fjord. Carrying four figures clad in red outer gear and yellow helmets. The ICE-SAR team, Iceland’s search and rescue heroes.
What followed was a masterclass in human ingenuity and interspecies cooperation. The rescue team, joined by local fishers on three boats, executed a rescue plan. They managed to gently push the whale backwards, creating slack in the entanglement. And then, in a moment that will forever be etched in my memory, they hooked the line and freed the whale without cutting a single line.
The whale, displaying a spectacularly calm disposition throughout the ordeal, took a triumphant dive once freed. I had videoed the whole rescue from land and it confirmed the success. There was no rope around its peduncle as it fluked. We could hear the cheers of the rescuers and it was a really emotional moment.
Reflections on interconnectedness
This experience serves as a powerful reminder of our deep, often overlooked connection to the natural world. It demonstrates how fishers innately care for the whales – in this case, the video that proved the whale was alive – and how storytelling can be the catalyst for action and change.
As I reflect on this surreal day, I’m struck by the synchronicity of it all. Before embarking on this journey to Iceland, I had mused about how my life seemed to be becoming entangled with the issue of entanglement. With a harrowing image of an entangled gannet gaining 2nd place in Ocean Photographer of the Year’s Conservation (Impact) category and this field trip season being about documenting the scars from above that entanglement causes. Never did I imagine I would witness such a dramatic manifestation of entanglement.
This rescue is more than just a happy ending; it’s a call to action. It shows us the power of community. The importance of persistence, and the profound impact we can have when everyone works together. You can listen to an RUV English interview with Tom Grove and Judith Scott here.
Although the line entangling the whale came from fishing gear, a sector often criticised for neglecting the welfare of whales, what I witnessed that day was quite the opposite. The fishers were the first to reach the whale. A community of them came together to rescue it. This highlights the complexity of the relationship between humans and marine mammals. As well as showing that the assumptions made about this industry don’t always hold true.
As we face the challenges of our changing world, let this story serve as a beacon of hope and a reminder of our responsibility.
We are not separate from nature; we are nature. And when we act in harmony with this truth, miracles can happen.
Donate to support Whale Wise
As a trustee of Whale Wise, I’d like to ask, if this story resonates with you. I invite you to support our mission by making a donation to Whale Wise. Your contribution will help us continue our important work protecting whales and their habitats. Every bit helps! You can make monthly and one off donations by clicking here.
[Note: Official footage of this incredible rescue will be released soon. Stay tuned for a visual journey through this remarkable event.]
Image credits in this post:
Judith Scott Photography – https://judith-scott.com/
Whale Wise – Flordespina Dodds & Petr Slavík https://whalewise.org/
Rebecca Douglas Photography – https://rebeccadouglas.co.uk/
