Diver Rescues Whale Tangled In Ropes — Whale Thanks Him In Spectacular Fashion

Aug 21, 2020

Back in 2005, a crab fisherman noticed a whale lingering around his boat near the Farallon Islands and decided to investigate. He found that the whale was covered in nylon ropes that were connected to crab pots. Luckily, Mick Menigoz of Novato, who received a call regarding the trapped whale, alerted the Marine Mammal Center and gathered a competent group of rescue divers who would eventually save the 50-ton creature.

Instead of running away, rescue diver James Moskito, the first in the water, jumped into the water near the Farallon Islands to help the whale, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Once he got closer to the whale, he realized that the humpback was entangled in heavy ropes that kept weighing him down. The whale couldn't breach properly in such a condition; it was struggling to get itself out of the water to be able to breathe.

James Moskito, with the help of a team of divers, slowly cut the ropes in an effort to free the whale. Amazingly, the whale was very cooperative and did not try to run away or attack the fishermen.

"When I was cutting the line going through the mouth, its eye was there winking at me, watching me," Moskito told the Chronicle. "It was an epic moment of my life."

The fishermen took their time until they freed the whale from the ropes. Upon getting free, the whale slowly swam around the fishermen as a sign of appreciation before going under.

"It felt to me like it was thanking us, knowing that it was free and that we had helped it," Moskito told reporters. "It stopped about a foot away from me, pushed me around a little bit, and had some fun."

You can watch Moskito's heroic act in this video. If you loved this story, tell your friends about it and let us know what you think about the whale's gesture of gratitude.