HW-MN0441135 @24203

This whale was a subadult when first encountered in 2017, when the whale survived a severe entanglement event thanks to an effective response by marine sanctuary authorities. From Rachel Finn, HIHWNMS: "This whale had PVC-insulated electrical-type cable deeply embedded at the back of the mouth and trailing. It took us much of the two days we worked on this animal to determine that it was cable, not something we've encountered before or since! We used bolt cutters to remove 500 ft of cable, with 70 ft remaining in the animal's mouth and trailing on either side. The remaining cable was too deeply embedded to pull free." The fate of the whale was unknown until a February 2024 encounter showed the whale appearing alive and well.

Au'au Channel · North Pacific