Humpback whale entangled in 285ft of rope freed by rescuers off coast of Hawaii
Ocean giant breaches 'several times' next to response team after being released
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A humpback whale spotted off the coast of Hawaii entangled in 285ft of rope has been freed by rescuers.
The animal was first spotted on Thursday by the captain of a fishing boat near Makena Beach, on Maui island.
A rescue team arrived on the scene, but were forced to wait after the whale became “very active” at the approach of the small inflatable dinghy.
The team eventually begun to remove the line after it calmed down, according to Hawaiian TV channel KGMB-TV.
With sunset approaching, crews put a tracking buoy on the rope and came back on Friday to finish the job.
"On release, the animal immediately breached several times," the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement. "With the removal of gear, it is believed that the animal has an excellent chance of surviving."
The rope will be analysed in an attempt to work out where it came from.
The NOAA reminded people it is illegal to approach a humpback whale within 100 yards by sea, and 1,000ft by plane.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments