The Maui News

A team of trained responders freed an adult female humpback whale from tightly wrapped line and other debris outside of Lahaina Harbor on Monday.

The adult female, accompanied by her calf and a male escort humpback, had a tight wrap of moderate gauge line and a large bundle of marine debris was wrapped around her head in front of her pectoral flippers, according to a news release on Tuesday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA Fisheries. She was first spotted on Saturday by the tour vessel Napali Explorer III and was sighted again on Monday by another tour vessel, Trilogy V.

While the animal was in fair to good condition, the tight wrap had resulted in line scars near her mouth line and was considered life-threatening.

The multiagency Pacific Islands Large Whale Entanglement Response Team mounted a six-hour response that was especially challenging as all the gear — estimated at more than 550 feet of measurable line — was wrapped tightly around the whale’s head, NOAA said. Tight wraps on the head also pose a danger to the response team because they must closely approach the animal.

The debris included a dozen different types of lines and netting, with at least 30 feet of thick line estimated at greater than 1 1/2 inches in diameter. While the gear sank out of reach and couldn’t be recovered, responders obtained critical documentation of the removed gear to determine its possible origins, NOAA said.

Once freed, the mother and her calf went into resting behavior, with the calf tucking under the mother’s chin. NOAA said the successful response increased the survival chances for both the mother and the calf.

Mariners are asked to keep a sharp lookout for whales in distress but not to approach closely or attempt to assist them. Only trained and well-equipped responders that are authorized under a permit are allowed to assist entangled whales and other marine mammals.

Immediately reporting an entangled or otherwise injured or distressed whale to the statewide NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at (888) 256-9840 or the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF channel 16 is the best way to help the animal, NOAA said.

To report a vessel coming too close to a whale, call the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 or email respectwildlife@noaa.gov.

It is illegal to approach a humpback whale closer than 100 yards by any means by sea or drone and closer than 1,000 feet by aircraft.