In a gripping underwater rescue, Spanish divers have freed a 12-meter-long humpback whale entangled in an illegal drift net off the Balearic island of Mallorca.
One of the divers, 32-year-old marine biologist Gigi Torras, said the May 20 rescue and a little gesture of appreciation from the giant mammal were also a birthday present for her — the “best ever,” in her words.
“It was like out of this world, it was incredible, just incredible,” she told Reuters the following Tuesday. It was only the third time that a humpback had been seen around the Balearic Islands.
The weakened whale had been spotted by a ship about three miles (4.83 km) off the eastern coast of Mallorca, prompting Palma de Mallorca’s Aquarium marine rescue center into action….