Trapped Gray Whale Freed

The gray whale that was entangled in discarded netting and a fishing buoy of the coast of Laguna Beach and Dana Point has been freed Thursday afternoon.

Gray whale entangled in netting (Photo courtesy of dolphinsafari.com)

It was recently spotted swimming near Redondo Beach after its release.

The trapped whale was first spotted by a private citizen in a hovering helicopter on Wednesday. The witness then contacted the authorities, according to Kelli Lewis of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

After locating the mammal, the rescue team managed to attach two buoys to the whale by Wednesday night but couldn't proceed with the extraction until the next day.

The gray whale is categorized as a "sub adult," older than a baby but younger than an adult.

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