San Pedro, California — Wildlife officials are raising concerns after a humpback whale was spotted struggling in heavy commercial fishing gear off the Southern California coast, prompting efforts to locate and free the animal as experts warn the entanglement could prevent it from swimming, feeding and breathing normally.
Passengers aboard a Harbor Breeze whale-watching tour encountered the distressed whale near the Palos Verdes area last Thursday. The whale was seen off Point Fermin with fishing gear wrapped around the middle of its body.
Video from the encounter showed the net restricting the whale’s movement, including the use of its pectoral fins.
Whale Watchers Encounter Distressed Humpback
Harbor Breeze shared video of the whale after passengers witnessed the troubling scene during a midday excursion.
“Today on our 12:00pm Whale Watch we witnessed a struggling Humpback Whale that was entangled in fishing nets off Point Fermin,” Harbor Breeze said.
The tour operator warned that the entanglement could pose several potentially serious problems for the animal.
“Because of this entanglement, this whale is not able to move freely, cannot feed, and can even have trouble getting to the surface to breathe. While all littering in the ocean is dangerous, Commercial fishing gear is absolutely one of the most common occurrences for killing marine life,” the company added.
Harbor Breeze operates whale-watching tours and other ocean excursions in Southern California, including trips from areas such as Long Beach and San Pedro.
Rescue Team Unable to Free the Whale
Wildlife experts responded and attempted to remove the fishing gear, but challenging ocean and weather conditions prevented the team from successfully reaching and freeing the whale.
Sarah Mesnick, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center, said rescuers made several attempts to reach the gear trailing from the animal.
“The team made multiple attempts to reach the trailing gear, but the whale’s behavior and water and weather conditions hampered their efforts. They also attempted to put on a satellite tracking tag, but similarly, conditions hampered their efforts,” Mesnick said.
A tracking tag could have helped officials monitor the whale’s movements and potentially locate it again for another rescue attempt.
Without one, keeping track of the animal as it travels along the California coast could become more difficult.
Whale Had Been Seen Earlier Without Fishing Gear
Officials have apparently been able to track this particular humpback through previous sightings.
Before Thursday’s encounter, the same whale was reportedly spotted off Humboldt County on Aug. 22 and near San Luis Obispo on Sept. 20.
During those earlier sightings, the whale was not seen tangled in fishing gear.
That suggests the entanglement occurred sometime after the September sighting as the animal continued traveling along the California coastline.
Humpback whales can cover significant distances, making timely reports of sightings especially important when an animal is injured or entangled.
California Accounts for Significant Share of Entanglements
The incident comes amid broader concerns about large whales becoming caught in fishing equipment along U.S. coastlines.
According to a NOAA report, 76 large whales were confirmed entangled along U.S. coasts in 2025, and 65 of those animals were humpback whales.
Confirmed whale entanglements were reported by 11 states.
California accounted for 27.6% of the confirmed reports, the largest share mentioned in the data, while Alaska accounted for 23.7%.
Fishing ropes, nets and other equipment can create serious risks for whales because gear wrapped around their bodies may interfere with swimming and feeding or cause injuries that worsen over time.
Officials Urge Public Not to Attempt a Rescue
Officials are continuing to monitor the situation, but members of the public who encounter an entangled whale should report the animal rather than attempting to remove the gear themselves.
Approaching a distressed whale can be dangerous for both people and the animal, while trained response teams have specialized equipment and procedures for handling entanglements.
For now, attention remains focused on finding the humpback again and determining whether conditions allow experts another opportunity to remove the fishing gear.
The sighting off Southern California provides another troubling example of the dangers marine animals can face when they become caught in equipment left or used in the ocean.
What do you think should be done to reduce whale entanglements along the California coast? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
