CATALINA CHANNEL — Authorities were working Friday to find and free a blue whale caught in fishing netting off the Southern California coast, officials said.
The whale — one of roughly 2,000 blue whales found off the California coast — was believed to be towing a line connected to a red buoy about 10 miles out to sea, between Point Fermin and Catalina Island.
Aerial footage from Sky9 showed a giant blue whale surfacing briefly and then diving below the surface, appearing to take a red buoy underwater, too.
Wildlife experts said the buoy could interfere with the whale's ability to dive below the surface and feed on plankton.
LA lifeguard AJ Lester said at 5 p.m. that lifeguards had established a visual on the whale and were preparing to carry marine scientist Peter Wallerstein out to the whale in a dingy to perform the disentanglement.
A command post has been set up at Point Fermin and Pacific Coast Highway, according to L.A. County Lifeguard officials.
This story appeared on CBSLA.com.
