Humpback whale Pop Tart rescued from fishing gear off British Columbia

A humpback whale known as Pop Tart, the 2016 calf of the famed Salish Sea whale Big Mama, was found entangled in a buoy and a 30‑metre rope on July 2 near Victoria, British Columbia. The Pacific Whale Watch Association coordinated a rescue with Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Response Team and volunteer whale‑watching vessels from Greater Victoria and Washington state, including Orca Spirit Adventures, Sooke Coastal Explorations and Prince of Whales.

Erin Gless, PWWA executive director, said “Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the greatest threats to humpback whales not just in the Salish Sea, but globally.” After several days of monitoring, the whale was located east of Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, and DFO arrived on July 8. A drone confirmed the gear had been removed and the whale was swimming free. Orca Spirit Adventures posted, “We’re incredibly relieved to hear that humpback whale Pop Tart has been successfully disentangled and is now swimming free.” The operation highlights cross‑border collaboration and the ongoing threat of fishing‑gear entanglement to marine wildlife.