Uyak Bay Whale Freed From Entanglement

Jay Barrett/KMXT

The humpback whale that had been towing around a crab pot buoy line it was entangled in has been set free. Bree Witteveen, a whale researcher in Kodiak with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, reports that she successfully freed the whale yesterday (Wednesday) in Uyak Bay, about 60 miles southwest of Kodiak City near Larsen Bay. She said the disentanglement "went very well."
The humpback was first spotted on Monday by Kevin Van Hatten, a biologist and pilot for the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. The whale was tangled in a crab pot line, along with another whale in the bay. By Tuesday afternoon, one of the whales had freed itself. You can find photos on KMXT dot org. Tune into the KMXT Midday Report with Jay Barrett for an update.