Whale air search called off

Rescuers will try and spot stricken whale from the air

An air search for a whale trapped in fishing nets has been called off.

A spotter plane carrying whale experts took to the air on Friday in a fresh attempt to spot a Minke whale which had been sighted in Cardigan Bay during the past week.

But, after flying for almost two hours, a fog bank prevented any further search.

There are fears the stricken animal is facing a lingering death from starvation and exhaustion.

Several attempts to pinpoint the whale have been thwarted by fog.

It is thought the whale may have swallowed part of the net in which it is caught. Eye-witnesses have said it appears to be very thin and may have been unable to feed.

If the air search team does finally manage to locate it, they will direct a boat rescue team to the site to try and cut the whale free.

Mark Simmonds, science director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, said: "It can often be difficult to find an individual animal from a boat.

"Only a small proportion of the body can be seen from such a low platform and as there is such a vast area of sea to cover."

"In order to help the animal we need to firstly find it and then gain a more accurate assessment of its situation and condition."

The whale could have swallowed part of the fishing net

The whale was first spotted off New Quay on Monday when an attempt to free it was unsuccessful.

RSPCA inspector Richard Abbott resumed the mission on Thursday, along with a representative from Ifaw (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and another expert who has experience in otter spotting.

They flew out of Haverfordwest aerodrome to patrol Cardigan Bay - where the whale was last spotted late Wednesday afternoon.

Attempts to tag whale

When the air search resumed on Friday, two boats were on standby to head out into the sea to tag it and make rescue attempts easier.

The twin-engine Piper Seneca plane being used in the air search is owned by Haverfordwest Air Charter Services.

It is piloted by Captain Gwyndaf Williams and has enough fuel on board for the air search to continue for three or four hours.

The Piper Seneca aircraft used by the whale rescue team

Inspector Abbott said they planned to use GPS tracking devices sent over from the United States to monitor the whale's movements and aid the rescue attempt.

He added: "If we could just put the tag on it, then at least we'd be able to keep track of exactly where it is - that would be an achievement.

"But where we're going to search is a massive area."

Adult Minke whales are usually between seven and ten metres long and can weigh up to 10 tonnes when fully grown.

These are just one of over 20 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises that can be found in UK waters.

Unfortunately they face a range of threats including or accidental capture in fishing nets, chemical and noise pollution and vessel strikes.