Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Whale Tangled in Crab Pot

SAN FRANCISCO - Animal officials have been unable to locate a whale that was spotted Tuesday morning tangled in a crab pot in the water near Pacifica, Marine Mammal Center spokeswoman Mieke Eerkens said today.

The whale, estimated to be less than 50 feet long, was seen swimming in the ocean about 250 yards off the coast of Pacifica, Mieke said. The crab pot had somehow become wrapped around the whale's body but did not restrict it from swimming, Mieke said.

Mieke said the U.S. Coast Guard had issued a small-craft advisory Tuesday, which prevented a Marine Mammal Center rescue crew from taking a boat to the area to try to untangle the creature. The rescuers instead scanned the waters from a Coast Guard helicopter but did not find the whale, Mieke said.

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