Entangled Whale Rescued Off The Coast Of Ocean City

Yesterday Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star, helped Maryland’s Natural Resources Police (NRP) rescue a Whale off the coast of Ocean City entangled in ropes and buoys. Kudos to the crews and especially to the boat crew and anglers aboard The Glory Days for first radioing in the whale, and sticking by its side until MD NRP could respond.

Captain Monty Hawkins … “At 10:40 am on 10/24/19 the Private Boat ‘Glory Days’ reported a whale entangled in fishing gear moving south just inshore the reef we were fishing. MD DNRP’s Sgt Wilson & Crew responded in their 37’ Patrol Boat “

Captain Monty Hawkins … “I advised NRP I had a 13 foot, custom CRKT knife designed for mammal & turtle entanglements — an XXXXL safety blade if you will.
After sizing up the tangle, DNR ran some 3 miles further to where we were fishing aboard my boat, the Morning Star out of OC MD, and got that knife. There were only 100 of those blades made. I understand NOAA bought 80 of them. I had welder Jim Leitner mount it to a long gaff some 10 years ago. Used it once before on a leatherback sea turtle fouled in a pot line. Sure came in handy today.”

After being rescued from the tangled lines, the whale was doing much better. There is actually a Whale rescue blade made for these situations from Spyderco. Great job by all involved for a live entanglement situation at sea that could have cost this whale its life.

Fish On!
Rich King