Mother Whale Entangled In Fishing Gear With Marine Debris Set Free

A female humpback whale has been set free after being found entangled in a fishing line that was attached to a large bundle of marine debris.

The whale was traveling with her calf and a male partner in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary off Maui on Saturday when it was spotted swimming with a trail of debris. The male and the calf were not entangled, according to AP News.

More than 500 feet of line was wrapped tightly around the mother whale's head. Different kinds of debris were also found entangled in the fishing line, Hawaii News Now reported.

A team of trained responders led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) got into action and tried to free the whale after it was first spotted by a tour vessel. On Monday, the team put in six hours of effort before they could finally clear the creature of marine debris.

"Once freed, the mother and her calf went into resting behavior, with the calf tucking under the mother's chin. The successful response increased the survival chances for both the mother and her calf," NOAA noted in a statement, as per AP News.

Different kinds of marine debris, which accumulates in the waters around Hawaii, was found entangled in the line that the whale used to drag along with her.

"The debris included a dozen different types of lines and netting," NOAA explained.

About 30 feet of the line is estimated to be at least 1.5 inches thick.

"While the gear sunk out of reach and couldn't be recovered, responders obtained critical documentation of the removed gear to determine its possible origins," it added.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary posted a picture of the mother whale and her calf swimming together after the disentanglement.

"Some good news from our first day of #WhaleWeek! A NOAA-led team of responders freed an entangled mother humpback of gear off of Maui yesterday," the agency wrote.

NOAA clarified in its statement that it is illegal to approach a humpback whale and that the team used a special federal permit to free the entangled mother whale.

Anyone who sees marine wildlife in distress can report the sighting to NOAA by calling 888-256-9840, according to Hawaii News Now.