Whale Calf Freed From Fishing Gear

A humpback whale calf has been disentangled from fishing gear near Juneau.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration spokesman Julie Speegle says the calf and its mother were spotted Wednesday morning by a charter fishing boat near Halibut Cove on Shelter Island. She says the five-person disentanglement team attached a transmitter to track the calf in case it raced away before they could free it.

The calf was freed from the fishing lines Wednesday evening just west of  Berners Bay.

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