A marine mammal swimming just off Kodiak’s shore had a near-death experience Tuesday. A juvenile humpback whale was entangled in commercial crab pot lines, gear and buoys near Broad Point in Chiniak Bay, said Kate Wynne, marine mammal specialist for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Marine Advisory Program, which is based in Kodiak.

The fishing vessel Carlson Point first notified the Coast Guard at about 11 a.m. Tuesday of the entangled humpback whale. Kodiak residents including Rolan Ruoss, a pilot who flew over the whale, reported the incident directly to Wynne. The National Marine Fisheries Service enforcement office was also contacted.

Three research vessels went out to the scene and found the approximately 20-foot whale almost completely immobile, Wynne said. At least two lines anchored the whale’s flukes to the gear causing it to be completely vertical. An additional two lines were wrapped around each pectoral fin.

Although the whale was able to move its pectoral fins, it was incapable of moving its fluke fins. When rescuers found the whale it was extremely tired, Wynne said, and having a difficult time raising its head to breath.

“The whale was so entangled that I’m not sure he would have lived through the night,” Wynne said.

Because the source of the entanglement was so deep, Wynne, along with assistants from the UAF Fishery Industrial Technology Center, were forced to use specialized gear to cut the lines. Wynne, who is specially authorized by NMFS to disentangle whales, used a three-prong metal grapple with blades on the insides to make the initial cut.

After the whale was disconnected from what was anchoring it, Wynne said it became apparent that its flukes were still tangled up so it could not propel itself.

The team had to cut an additional line around the whale’s body before they were able to finally cut the buoys off. After a five-hour disentanglement process, the juvenile left, and was swimming and breathing well, Wynne said.

It is fairly common for whales to become entangled on vertical lines, tow them along and collect more gear, Wynne said. However, she was unsure how long the whale had been trapped or whether if it had been drifting and for how long.

The buoys had tag numbers on them, and Wynne hypothesized that the traps were probably lost. Rescuers are interested in finding out where the crab pot was originally set, as well as other information useful for tracking, rather than enforcement information.

Whales have been very near shore this year, which predisposes them to interaction with humans, Wynne said. This close proximity is a function of where the whale’s food is located, as determined by current pattern and temperature differences, among other factors.

Previous years have shown an abundant humpback whale population around Chiniak Bay. This year though, Wynne has seen them near Buoy 4 as well as between Long and Woody islands. However, Wynne was quick to point out that there is no “normal” whale season.

Mariners are reminded that if they see or come into contact with an entangled whale, they should immediately contact the Coast Guard, NMFS, or Wynne. These types of efforts from residents, especially those who acted on Tuesday, are greatly appreciated, and can dramatically improve a whale’s chance of survival, Wynne said. Mariners should never get in the water with an entangled whale, she added, as they can thrash around and cause damage.

Mirror writer Lauren Valone can be reached via e-mail at fisheries@kodiakdailymirror.com.