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Mar 13, 2008 11:11 am US/Eastern
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2 Whales Entangled In Ropes In Cape Cod Bay
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Two female North Atlantic right whales were found in Cape Cod Bay after they had become entangled with ropes.
Aerial teams spotted the first whale around 1 p.m. Tuesday. As the teams were assessing the whale's condition, they spotted a second whale southwest of Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. Ropes were stuck in the jaws of both whales, but officials said they are in no immediate danger.
Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies spokeswoman Tanya Gabettie said both animals were feeding and swimming normally with about 10 other whales, and no effort was made to remove the rope stuck between plates of baleen.
Both marine mammals will be monitored, and the center will intervene if the rope impedes their ability to swim or feed.
So far this year, four right whales, including these two, have been entangled on the Cape, Gabettie said.
There are an estimated 300 to 400 of the endangered animals remaining today.
The
PCCS whale rescue program has freed 89 whales from life-threatening entanglements in fishing gear.
Earlier this month, the Banner Online newspaper reported that funding for the PCCS whale program could be slashed by more than $350,000 this coming year.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)