NOAA: No success yet with entangled whale

Efforts to cut a humpback whale free of gill netting it has been dragging around Southeast Alaska for the last 12 days continue to fail.

Teams from Juneau have made several unsuccessful attempts to cut the fishing gear free from the whale over the weekend. Some gear has been removed, but a “significant” amount remains, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The agency says the whale can breathe and isn’t in immediate danger.

Disentanglement teams are waiting for calmer waters before trying again later this week. A satellite tag that a team in Petersburg attached lets officials track the whale.

Team members say it’s been challenging because the weighted gear is beneath the whale, and because the whale has been evasive.

NOAA spokeswoman Julie Speegle says the whale is in Chatham Strait.

Jeremy Hsieh

Local News Reporter, KTOO

I dig into questions about the forces and institutions that shape Juneau, big and small, delightful and outrageous. What stirs you up about how Juneau is built and how the city works?

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