Entangled humpback whale cut free from Dungeness crab gear in California

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A humpback whale that had been entangled by Dungeness crab fishing gear was recently freed, according to a media release from the Marine Life Studies, based in Moss Landing, California, which is outside of Monterey.

Whale watch crews first spotted the humpback whale entangled in commercial Dungeness crab gear in late May in Monterey Bay. The whale was seen trailing ropes and buoys with black and purple lines.

The whale might have broken free of attached crab pots on its own, but ropes remained wound around the whale’s tail and flukes and cut deeply into the whale, said Dr. Julia O’Hern, a senior cetacean scientist at Marine Life Studies.

This posed a life-threatening risk to the whale.

Poor weather prevented an immediate response, but additional sightings and photos in late June helped responders confirm it was the same whale and assess its worsening condition.

The whale was identified by an online database as a humpback with the nickname, “The Duchess of Anchovy.”

On July 10, whale watchers spotted the whale amongst other humpbacks near Moss Landing and guided Marine Life Studies’ authorized Whale Entanglement Team to it. Responders attached telemetry gear so they could track the whale overnight in poor weather.

Early the next morning, the team returned, slowed the whale with attached flotation, examined the entanglement and made three cuts in the lines. The gear then fell away, freeing the whale. The whale was later seen feeding near Moss Landing.

“This was a great example of collaboration both on and off the water,” said Lauren Saez, who helped coordinate the response for NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region. “The team’s success led to the recovery of the gear, which our state partners traced to the Dungeness crab fishery. That will help us better understand what might have led to the entanglement in the first place.”

The gear carried a tag from the 2025-26 Dungeness crab season. NOAA Fisheries said it is working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to interview the gear owner to determine when and where the crab gear was set and better understand what led to the entanglement.