Rescue Crews Lose Badly Tangled Humpback Whale off Coast

Rescue crews today will resume efforts to free a humpback whale entangled in netting that was spotted about 1 mile off the coast of Rancho Palos Verdes.

The whale was first seened Saturday with netting all over its face and head, according to media reports.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rescuers tried to free the whale, but the netting caused it to become agitated, which posed a risk to the crew.

“It’s heartbreaking when we come across a whale who’s suffering,” Capt. Dan Salas of Harbor Breeze Cruises told KCBS.

It’s the second time recently that a whale has been trapped in netting off the coast of Palos Verdes. Last month, a tangled blue whale eluded would-be rescuers and headed into Mexican waters.

Anyone who sees the whale today is asked to call the U.S. Coast Guard.

City News Service