A young minke whale that spent days swimming with heavy fishing rope and buoys tangled around its body has been freed off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, after rescuers managed to cut away most of the dangerous fishing gear. The roughly 18-foot minke whale was first spotted by recreational fishermen near Cape Cod Bay on Sunday, Sept. 6, according to the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS). The whale was carrying rope and other fishing equipment that had become tightly wrapped around its body.
