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Video: Dramatic rescue of grey whale caught in fishing line

A grey whale has been freed after it became entangled in a fishing line in the Pacific Ocean, according to reports.

Aerial footage of the dramatic rescue operation shows crews working to free the sea mammal, after it was first spotted in trouble off the coast of Laguna Beach, Southern California.

The video shows rescuers from the Pacific Marine Mammal Centre attempting to pursue the animal by speedboat as it swims along the Orange County coast – towing 100ft of line caught around its left pectoral fin.

More fishing line was discovered in the distressed whale's mouth.

Rescuers were able to cut away some of the line on Tuesday, but rescue efforts were temporarily suspended when the whale reportedly became uncooperative.


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According to the centre, three buoys were attached to the grey whale – a protected species - to track it overnight.

Dana Friedman, of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, told KTLA.com: “This whale, I think, was letting us know we were a little bit too close.”

“He smacked our boat and we felt it. We saw this whale shaking his tail in a side-to-side fashion, which is something they do if they want to use their tail as a weapon.”

The whale is the third to be freed by the marine centre in the last month.  

It is believed that one of the whales did not survive.