What happened to the humpback whale Astroboy?

Astroboy, a humpback whale, was recently freed from a dangerous entanglement in fishing rope near Nanaimo, B.C. in a daring rescue operation.

Why was Astroboy swimming so fast?

According to the naturalist, Astroboy was swimming unusually fast for a humpback whale, likely due to the burden of the entanglement in the fishing rope.

Home / Environment / Astroboy the Whale Escapes Fishing Rope Peril in Dramatic Rescue

Astroboy the Whale Escapes Fishing Rope Peril in Dramatic Rescue

Q: How did the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) rescue Astroboy the whale?

DFO fishery officers and a marine mammal rescue team were able to attach a satellite tag to the submerged trailing gear, which eventually helped pull off the 450 feet of entangled rope from Astroboy.

24 Oct, 2025

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Summary

Humpback whale named Astroboy freed from entanglement
Rescue operation involved DFO fishery officers and marine mammal team
Whale was swimming fast and dragging 450 feet of rope

On October 22nd, 2025, a humpback whale named Astroboy was dramatically rescued from a life-threatening entanglement in fishing rope near Nanaimo, British Columbia. Melanie Warren, a naturalist working on a whale-watching vessel, first spotted the distressed whale and immediately alerted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

DFO fishery officers, who were already participating in marine mammal rescue training, quickly responded to the scene. They were able to attach a satellite tag to the submerged trailing gear, which eventually helped pull off the entangled rope. In total, the whale had been dragging approximately 137 meters (450 feet) of poly steel rope.

The rescued whale, identified as BCX2152 (Astroboy), is a Hawaiian humpback that migrates to the waters off British Columbia. According to the naturalist, the whale was swimming unusually fast for a humpback, likely due to the burden of the entanglement.