California rescuers free entangled whale in 2-day operation
Posted October 31, 2015 7:00 am
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - California rescuers have managed to free a humpback whale entangled in hundreds of feet of fishing line.
The 35- to 50-foot whale was spotted off the Southern California on Friday, and rescuers were able to cut away about 100 feet of rope and buoys, possibly from a lobster trap.
But the whale then dove and fled. It was spotted off of San Diego on Saturday morning, and a rescue team from SeaWorld was called out.
Spokeswoman Kelly Terry says in a three-hour operation, the team cut away more than 230 feet of rope. She says the whale still has some line in its mouth, but it didn't appear to be in distress as it swam away south and should be fine.
This Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, photo courtesy of Facebook.com/Slater Moore Photography and newportwhales.com, shows an entangled humpback whale off the Southern California coast, during a whale watching trip in Long Beach. Calif. Rescuers will try again Saturday, Oct. 31, to remove more than 100 feet of fishing line from an entangled humpback whale that has been moving south along the Southern California coast. (Slater Moore Photography via AP) NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT
The Associated Press
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