Coast Guard responds to whale entangled in net
5/31/06
Petersburg, Alaska
The Coast Guard received a transmission from the fishing vessel Fin that a humpback whale was entangled in its gill net in Frederick Sound outside Petersburg, Tuesday, at 5:02 p.m. and the crew of the cutter Anacapa launched its small boat to assess the situation.
When the small boat arrived on scene, it was determined that the master of the Fin was in no immediate danger.
At this time, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was notified. They requested the Coast Guard's assistance in taking photos and disentangling the whale. The Anacapa's small boat and crew returned to Petersburg and transported a NOAA disentanglement expert and his gear to the scene. On scene they acted as a platform from which the specialist could attempt to free the whale.
Due to the cooperation of the Coast Guard and NOAA, disentanglement efforts were a success and the whale was observed swimming normally out into the open waters of Frederick Sound. The captain of the Fin continued with his fishing trip as planned.
The Coast Guard cutter Anacapa is a 110-foot patrol boat stationed in Petersburg.