Humpback whale rescued from fishing gear off Rockport coast

Rescuers freed a juvenile humpback whale tangled in fishing gear off the Rockport coast on Wednesday, the Center for Coastal Studies said. Boaters spotted the whale Tuesday “with a buoy from fishing gear in tow.” Scott Landry, director of the center’s Marine Animal Entanglement Response team, estimated the whale was 1 to 2 years old. Because the team arrived before dark on Wednesday, it searched for about four hours from Provincetown after a tip, and then cut the equipment free using a long pole and a hook-shaped knife. Rescuers attached large buoys to help slow the anxious whale before removing all gear. The whale swam out of Ipswich Bay at high speed, a sign Landry said generally indicates faster recovery.