Rescue crew frees massive whale from deadly fishing net in high-stakes operation: 'The chances of this whale surviving were very low'

A young gray whale is swimming freely again after a trained team of marine experts successfully disentangled it from a potentially life-threatening gill net off the coast of California's Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The multiday affair started on April 8 when whale watchers spotted the entangled whale from the shore, according to a post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The large animal had become tightly wrapped in green gill netting that had snagged on a rock crab trap anchor 100 feet below the sea floor. This made it difficult for the whale to breathe.

Justin Greenman, assistant California stranding coordinator for NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Region, said, "The whale was anchored in place … and was having difficulty coming to the surface to breathe."

Responders from the Large Whale Entanglement Response Network, including experts from the Marine Mammal Care Center of Los Angeles, Entangled Whale Response of Orange County, and Los Angeles County lifeguards, assembled a team to act quickly.

The next day, April 9, the team located the whale and spent two hours working to free it. Using aerial drones and underwater cameras, the team assessed the entanglement and then carefully cut away the green gill net using specialized tools.

"Without our response, the chances of this whale surviving were very low," said Justin Viezbicke, California stranding coordinator for NOAA Fisheries, who led this rescue.

The gill net involved had originally been set near Newport Beach in Orange County and had been dragged by the whale to the Palos Verdes area. This type of discarded gear is known as ghost gear and is a constant threat to wildlife long after it's abandoned.

What began as a distressing sight off the coast of California turned into a story of hope and teamwork. This gray whale has a second chance at life thanks to the rapid response by the nonprofit groups and other activists involved. 

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