Canadian and U.S. Crews Free Entangled Humpback Whale Calf in Cross-Border Rescue

A humpback whale calf trailing more than 300 feet of rope and a buoy was first spotted traveling with its mother off the west coast of Vancouver Island on Friday, September 18, 2026, by the crew of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship John P. Tully. Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Marine Mammal Rescue Unit, led by Paul Cottrell, tracked the pair with support from fishery officers and the CCGS M. Charles, attaching a satellite tag to the trailing gear so the entangled calf could be followed as it crossed into U.S. waters, where the U.S.-based NOAA Fisheries West Coast Rescue Team joined the effort. After a two-day operation, Cottrell made a final cut with a pole knife on Sunday, September 20, freeing the whale of the remaining gear. It was the second cross-border entanglement rescue involving Canadian and American crews in as many months.