Fishing Line Cuts Like a Saw — Rescuing “Roy Kent”

Starting in February 2024, we made numerous attempts to remotely disentangle an 8-year-old, 7.5-foot, 315-pound male dolphin nicknamed “Roy Kent” (F334) from the fishing line embedded in his tail fluke.

Finally, on May 21, we were able to catch him, remove most of the line, treat his wound and release him.

The braided micro-multifilament fishing line (also known as spiderwire) from his entanglement is notorious for causing serious injuries to wildlife. The braiding in essence turns the line into a saw blade and the dolphin’s tail moves the “blade” up and down, cutting into its flesh. When algae and debris get caught in the trailing edges of the line, the added drag pulls the line deeper and deeper into the fluke. We expect his tail will heal and remain intact and are continuing to monitor him during our regular surveys.

This picture shows Roy Kent just before release. The tag he is wearing was held on by suction cups and programmed to release within 24 hours.