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A fisherman who was recorded climbing on a hump back whale after it became entangled in a rope in California was lauded as a hero on social media.
But his actions, which included jumping into water beside the whale, were criticized by officials who warned he set a dangerous example. Dramatic footage of the rescue, which took place at Morro Bay, was captured in September. More was uploaded to Instagram Thursday.
According to NBC Bay Area, Sam Synstelien and his colleague Nicholas Taron, of fishing vessel The Persistence, remarked the animal distressed. "[The whale] was just swimming in counter-clockwise circles, "said Taron, who shot the clip. "You could tell he was stressed."
The said said they reported the case to the Coast Guard, but were told that nothing could be done for hours. So the crew decided to take action in Synstel's case, literally.
"Get it Sam, jump on the whale right now and cut it," Taron is heard shouting in the footage. Synstelien is seen swimming towards the animal and climbing on its back to cut the rope. The whale thrashes, its tail smashing hard against the side of their boat, before it is freed.
In an Instagram description written the video, the fishermen wrote: "We're following this humble whale around for an hour. Cut an entangled buoy from her back but she was still caught. With no other options F / V Persistence getting the job done. "
While social media users, the public said that their actions could have ended in disaster. Justin Veizbicke, spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Fisheries, told NBC Bay Area in a statement: "We've had people in the water, and just last year, we've lost our response. . "
The website of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the US Coast Guard also warned against launching the type of rescue mission seen in the fishermen's footage.
"While we are relieved the fishermen were not allowed, we feared that they would be freed, we feared that they would be more dangerous, and may encourage others to attempt such a response in the future," it said. "Even authorized, trained responders have been killed while attempting to sayangle whales using the best techniques and specialized equipment."
The agency said that "best practice" is never going to get in the water with an entangled whale.
It noted: "These animals are very powerful and dangerous in close proximity. In addition, each entangled whale is not necessarily in imminent danger, meaning that it is time to wait for the authorized responders and not requiring these types of emergency actions. And just the visible lines can not totally free the animal, making it harder for responders to help. "
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