Blue Whale trapped in fishing gear prompts rescue effort

CALIFORNIA — A blue whale estimated to be between 60 and 70 feet long was rescued Monday after becoming entangled in fishing gear and trips off the California coast.

Blue whales are the world’s largest mammals. The whale became tangled in at least 200 feet of line from a Dungeness crab trap, the American Cetacean Society said. The lines were wrapped around the whale’s fluke.

According to the Orange County Register, the whale was first spotted at about 9:30 a.m. roughly two miles off the Dana Point Headlands.

Capt. Tom Southern, a boat captain for Capt. Dave’s Dolphin Safari, spotted the cetacean while pulling buoys through the water.

A Youtube video shows the whale dragging at least two marker buoys.

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Per National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration policy, boaters and agencies are asked to stand by entangled whales to help rescue teams locate the creatures more quickly.

NOAA spokesman Michael Millstein said the entanglement and attempted rescue of the blue whale is a first for the agency.

Teams typically help disentangle grey whales, which are much smaller than blue whales.

The rescue follows a record high year for entanglements in 2015.

Cox Media Group