The Start Bay humpback whale was rescued from fishing gear for a second time last weekend.

The whale was cut free near Blackpool Sounds on Saturday afternoon by the British Divers Marine Rescue team and Salcombe RNLI lifeboat crews.

Salcombe RNLI were called to the rescue with assistance from the RNLI Dart inshore lifeboat, only ten days after the whale was last freed from a line of whelk pots off Blackpool Sands.

David Dancox, RNLI Salcombe lifeboat press officer said: “The RNLI Dart inshore lifeboat was already involved in the rescue of a rowing team on the River Dart on Saturday, April 1, and was tasked to assist the Salcombe Tamar class all-weather lifeboat when the ILB had refuelled and had a crew change.

“The Salcombe lifeboat located the whale a quarter of a mile offshore, opposite Matts Point in Start Bay, slightly west of where she had been trapped previously.

“The Dart lifeboat put two volunteer crewmen on the Tamar and fetched Ali Jones from the BDMLR team to assess the situation. She found that the weight of pots was far greater than on the previous occasion and it was decided to use the winch on the Tamar to lift the buoyed line.

Mr Dancox continued: “Ali was joined by David McDonald from the BDMLR and he and Chris Tracey from the inshore lifeboat crew cut the pots free as they came to the surface including a particularly heavy entangled mesh of the pots.

“Eventually only a single line ran from around the whale to the seabed and Chris was able to cut this and the whale was freed again.”

“It took two lifeboats with complementary capabilities to complete this rescue and shows the value of volunteer lifeboat crews training with their flank stations and being willing and able to professionally assist volunteers from other organisations such as those from the BDMLR team,” Mr Dancox added.