Rescue team attempts to untangle blue whale from fishing wire in Dana Point

DANA POINT (KUSI) — A rescue team is doing everything they can to untangle a blue whale who became entrapped in fishing wire off the coast of Dana Point Monday.

Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari reported seeing the whale with 100 feet of buoys and fishing lines dragging behind it, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A team of volunteers and NOAA experts were working to help free the mammal Monday night, but could not complete the task, Michael Milstein of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The whale may become more skittish as the wire appears to be tangled around the whale’s fins. Efforts continued Tuesday, according to Dana Point Harbor twitter.

Video credit: Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari 

“This is the first time we’ve ever tried to untangle a blue whale before off the West Coast,” Milstein said. “We have been able to cut some of the lines off the whale, but the pectoral flippers are difficult to reach, and we haven’t been able to get it all, so the whale is still tangled.”

The whale was believed to be first spotted along the coast of San Diego Sunday, Milstein said. It is the second time a blue whale has become trapped in fishing wire off the California coast this year.