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Kamchatka rescuers free endangered white whale caught in nets

Rescuers had to cut off the ropes that had already injured his skin

PATROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, August 3. /TASS/. Rescuers from the Russian Kamchatka peninsula have rescued a white whale on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, caught in fishermen’s nets, the press service of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations' regional branch said on Thursday.

The whale got trapped off the regional center Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, it said. "A team of rescuers and scientific workers headed to the site on an emergencies ministry’s boat. The situation was getting worse, as by the time the rescuers arrived, the whale was very frightened and began thrashing around as soon as the boat tried to approach," the report said.

Rescuers had to cut off the ropes that had already injured his skin. Right after being untangled, the whale swam towards the Avacha Bay. Local scientists say that it is a very rarely that white whales get into the Avacha Bay.