Humpback whale rescued from crab pot nets

At least a dozen people were out in the water Monday from NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Coast Guard and Marine Life Studies trying to help a humpback whale in distress off the Moss Landing coast.

Responders said the whale was first reported Sunday, when a whale watching tour group found it with a crab pot line attached to it, weighing it down about 12 miles off the Moss Landing Marine Lab over the Monterey Canyon.

Some netting is still wrapped around the whale’s tale. Crews said it’s been there long enough, to where the whale’s skin is actually growing over the line. They hope the line will fall off, but if it doesn’t, a crew will head back out Tuesday to see what can be done.

For now, there’s a satellite tracking device attached to the whale and a researcher in Hawaii is monitoring the situation.