In this May 15, 2014, photo provided by KSBW-TV, marine biologists free a humpback whale that had become entangled with a steel rope attached to a 300-pound crab trap, off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. The heavy crab pot was preventing the whale from diving to feed. Photo: AP Photo/KSBW-TV/MCT
SAN JOSE, California - The passengers on the Point Sur Clipper were whale watching in Monterey Bay on April 27. They spotted a humpback. It was 25 feet long. At first, nothing seemed wrong with it.

###### Humpbacks feast on krill, a tiny shelled animal. They dive down to feed on the krill. This one didn't.

"It wouldn't fluke up," said Nancy Black, an ocean scientist. ###### Black was speaking of the tail flip that humpbacks perform before diving to feed. She also noticed several buoys were trailing behind it. Buoys float in the water, marking where fishermen left their traps.

Let's Get This Rescue Started

Black called the U.S. ###### The whale was caught in a long line that connected to a crab trap. A rescue effort was started. Dozens of volunteers joined in.

Whales were hunted for hundreds of years. ###### Now, the number of whales is climbing again near California. Whale rescues like this one could become more common.

In the past, whales rarely tangled with crab fishing gear. But in recent weeks, four entangled whales were seen on the West Coast. ###### The two others have not been spotted again.

It wasn't easy to free the whale.

That Sunday, the Coast Guard called the Whale Entanglement Team (WET). They are volunteers.

###### The tag let them follow the whale by satellite in space.

Following The Whale On GPS

The next morning the team found the whale again.

Using poles and knives, the crew removed the crab pot and 300 feet of line. But another 50 feet of line remained wrapped around the whale's tail. ######

The waves grew to 10 feet high. The boats were getting tossed around. It was too dangerous. The crew turned back.

###### On May 1, it strayed far offshore.

Seven days later, rescuers drove south. But the high seas made a rescue impossible.

By now, the whale was losing weight. ######

Finally, A Good Day To Finish The Rescue

On May 14, about 20 rescuers gathered near Santa Barbara. They rode in four boats. The water was calm and the whale was close.

Using hooks and knives, the crews worked for over an hour. ######

It had been 17 days since the whale was first spotted. It had swam 700 miles snagged in rope. Now, the whale was free.]]>