(AP) — A female humpback whale traveling with a male and a calf has been freed after it was found entangled in a line with a large bundle of marine debris attached. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the whale was freed while swimming in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary off Maui. There was more than 500 feet of line that was wrapped tightly around the humpback’s head. The agency said tight wraps on the head are dangerous to the trained response teams that approach the whales to cut the animals free. The line was tangled with various kinds of marine debris that accumulates in the waters around Hawaiʻi.

© copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved

AP Photo