Entangled Whale News

Unfortunately, it’s been hard to keep up with the entangled-whale stories these days – and this one looked hopeful last week when Sea World biologists removed netting, ropes and other lines from a young gray whale in Southern California’s Dana Point harbor, allowing it to swim free after the rescue episode.


Coming just one month after Dana Point’s 39th Annual Festival of the Whale, this distressing occurrence joins a growing list of whale entanglements presenting themselves in 2010. You can read about the rescue and see video of the whale here.

Sadly, the emaciated whale died just hours after it was freed. The nets and debris had entangled its tail and one of its fins, not allowing it to swim unencumbered, and presumably, feed. After a short display of renewed energy, it seemed as though the adolescent whale would swim off to resume the migration north – instead, it meandered listlessly near the harbor entrance and eventually died of…well, experts hope to examine the carcass for indications of cause of death. A short report of the death is here.