Whale swims from Alaska to Hawaii dragging fishing line and anchor

11:11 AM Tue 5 Jan 2010 GMT

'Whale with fishing line trailing' .

Ed Lyman, marine mammal response coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Hawaii estimated that a whale found in Hawaiian waters with a fishing line and anchor trailing some 60 feet behind it had swum from Alaska trailing the line.

The crew of tour boat Na Pali Explorer noticed the whale acting strangely, creating more white water than usual about two miles south of Lahaina.

Several boats stayed about 90 minutes to keep track of the 35-foot whale, which appeared to have been hit by a boat.

When rescuers arrived they discovered the whale's tail was entangled in fishing line less than half an inch thick that trailed some 60 feet behind the calf. The line sliced into the animal's blubber, causing a 6- to 8-inch-deep gash near the tail blade and threatening the animal's life, Lyman told reporters.

It was the Na Pali Explorer that first noticed the whale and called authorities - .. .

Beneath the tail, officials noticed the whale pulling a small anchor usually used for sedentary fishing gear, such as gill nets.

Whale lice covered the animal's wound, indicating poor health. Because of the type of line and the condition of the wound, Lyman estimated the whale became entangled more than a month ago and swam with the line from Alaska, more than 2,500 miles away.

But the whale, believed to be a male about two-years-old, still appeared to be in good shape and not emaciated.

Lyman and David Mattila, science rescue adviser, piloted a 17-foot inflatable boat about two feet behind the whale and grabbed onto the entangled line. As the whale pulled the boat, the men used a 10-foot pole with a hook knife and made six cuts to the line.

As the sun set at about 5:30 p.m., Lyman made the final cut and the whale swam away.

He had cut some line beneath the whale's tail, but couldn't tell if the anchor came off.

'We definitely got a lot of gear off the whale and definitely increased its chances of survival,' Lyman said.

by Rob Shikina, Democratic Underground/Sail-World