Entangled Baby Whale Spotted In LA County Heads North: Report

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — A baby gray whale first spotted off the Southern California coastline entangled in fishing gear has made it up to Northern California where it may be swimming in the Monterey Bay area.

Residents and conservationists have been on the lookout for the whale in hopes of freeing it. The search first began off the coast of Los Angeles, earlier this month. The calf may now be swimming in Monterey Bay or in waters farther north after it was last seen in Malibu, the paper reported.

Officials are asking Northern California residents to keep an eye out for a months-old gray whale, The Mercury News reported.

"Today was a sad day," said Phil Kreis, who spotted and videotaped the entangled baby whale. The calf and its mother were quickly moving northward, he said.

Rescuers from the Laguna Beach Pacific Marine Mammal Center tried to free the baby whale but gave up after its protective mother blocked them for hours, The Mercury News reported.

Entanglement can cause animals to drown, starve or suffer infections from cuts in their skin, according to the International Whaling Commission.

Researchers say it's hard to estimate how many marine mammals become entangled each year because most entanglements are never seen. But the IWC said research found that some 300,000 whales and dolphins die annually because of entanglement.

Anyone who sees the calf is asked to call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at 877-767-9425.

Read more from The Mercury News.