Young humpback whale at centre of rescue drama vanishes overnight - but fears remain for its fate

A MASSIVE operation to rescue a young humpback whale, pictured right, dangerously entangled in creel ropes in the waters off Shetland, was abandoned yesterday after the cetacean disappeared.

But last night the fate of the 25ft whale remained a mystery. Animal welfare organisations have no way of knowing if the young whale managed to struggle free of the tangle of lobster lines or if it drowned during the night.

The operation to free the whale began on Thursday after the stricken animal was first spotted by the crew on the Whalsay ferry at Orra Wick, to the west of Lunning Head, near Vidlin, in the north-east of the Shetland mainland.

But yesterday morning, as the dive team was still en route to the northern isles, rescuers who arrived at Orra Wick at first light discovered that the whale had vanished. Rescuers believe the whale has either managed to break free during the night or that it became exhausted and drowned.

Alan Knight, a spokesman for the dive team, said: "I have mixed emotions at the moment. I would be really pleased if the animal has released itself - they do that quite often. The one thing that worries me is that it has drowned. That is a possibility."

He added: "We will still go up and check the creel pots to make sure there is no whale around them."

Since 1992, humpback whales have been seen each year off the Shetland coast