Trapped whale is cut free

It is the first whale Holyhead coastguard say they have dealt with

A 20-foot whale has been freed after becoming tangled in a mooring rope off the north Wales coast.

The fin or minke whale was cut free after being spotted off the coast of Penrhyn Bay.

A member of the public saw it was in difficulty and rang Holyhead Coastguard on Thursday afternoon.

It was last seen off the coast of Llandudno heading out to sea. The incident was described by coastguards as "quite unusual".

John McClymont, acting watch manager at Holyhead Coastguard, said he had never heard of another case in the area.

"We often get reports of porpoises or dolphins, but this is our first whale," he said.

"We heard at about two in the afternoon when a member of the public phoned - he had been watching it for about half an hour and saw it was in trouble."

Mr McClymont said the RSPCA inspector was called in, but the Llandudno inshore lifeboat had to wait for him to arrive, by which time the whale had moved about a mile.

"By the time they caught it, it was nearly in Llandudno Bay," he said

"They went out and managed to cut the mooring buoy from its tail and it swam away."