Great White Shark Faces Off Against Tangled Humpback Whale, Rescuers Off Cape Cod

A rescue team freed a humpback whale entangled in fishing gear as a great white shark circled them off the coast of Cape Cod Saturday.

The dramatic scene happened about five miles off Provincetown.

The team from the Center for Coastal Studies said the 35-foot whale was attacked by a great white shark, which continued to circle it. The team went on to deploy a small inflatable boat to get close to the whale and were able to cut off the gear and free the whale, which quickly fled the area.

Here’s footage of the shark:

And photos and video of the rescue:

Earlier this month, the Center for Coastal studies team rescued a minke whale caught up in fishing line.

The team said it has has freed more than 200 whales and other marine animals from entanglements. It said because of the endangered status of many of these creatures—especially the right whale—freeing just one can have a “profound” effect on the entire population.

Boaters are urged to report whale or other sea life entanglements to the Marine Animal Entanglement Response hotline (1-800-900-3622) or US Coast Guard.

As for the sharks, it was the latest in a series of sightings off the Cape so far this summer.

Previous

• Rescuers Save Whale Badly Entangled in Fishing Gear Off Martha’s Vineyard
• Great White Shark Seen Off Cape Cod in First Summer Sighting
• Another Great White Shark Sighting Off Cape Cod

Top photo: The shark that circled the rescue team Saturday. (Credit: Center for Coastal Studies)