ENDICOTT ARM, ALASKA — On the evening of May 10, 2026, mariners observed a juvenile humpback whale entangled in the narrow opening to Endicott Arm, a steep glacial fjord located 50 miles south of Juneau, Alaska, within the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror wilderness. The whale had become ensnared in the lines of two commercial Tanner crab pots, each weighing approximately 800 pounds, anchoring it near the mouth of the fjord and severely restricting its ability to swim and breathe normally.

A Juneau-based response team mobilized on May 11, 2026, after mariners reported the entangled whale to the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network 24-hour hotline. The team included biologists from NOAA Fisheries, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Marine Mammal program, and local partners from Alaska Sea to Shore, with operational support from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Juneau aboard their response vessel, which served as a safety boat and helped direct vessel traffic during the operation.

The entanglement was complex and life-threatening. Heavy lines ran through the whale’s mouth and baleen, leading back to a tight knot wrapped around its peduncle—the area just in front of the tail flukes. This configuration effectively hog-tied the whale and prevented it from using its flukes normally, forcing it to rely primarily on its pectoral fins to reach the surface to breathe.

The two weighted pots on the seafloor acted as anchors, preventing the whale from moving far from the mouth of Endicott Arm. Responders believe the whale encountered one pot line while feeding and became entangled in the second pot while towing the first.

Responders worked for over 5 hours to free the whale, making four precise cuts that ultimately released it from the crab pots and most of the entangling lines. “Cutting gear off an animal of this size can be dangerous,” said NOAA research fisheries biologist John Moran. “We use long poles fitted with specialized knives to extend our reach. That allows us to cut lines while reducing the risk of being injured by a 40-ton animal.” A small section of unknotted line remained threaded through the animal’s mouth when it swam away, but responders stated that based on previous cases, the remaining line is expected to work its way free and the whale will recover fully.

Effective communication among vessel crews was vital to the mission’s success. “We formed a network of eyes on the water—vessel crews coordinating real-time updates between one another and relaying them to us,” said Suzie Teerlink, NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Specialist. She added, “That communication was critical. It gave us insight into the nature of the entanglement, helped us build a safe response plan, and gave us confidence that we could relocate the whale.” Teerlink also noted that the entanglement configuration “effectively hog-tied the whale and prevented it from using its flukes normally, forcing the whale to rely primarily on its pectoral fins to reach the surface to breathe.”

Identification of the whale remains incomplete. Humpback whales are typically identified by the unique black-and-white patterns on the underside of their flukes, but responders were unable to see this area because the entanglement restricted tail movement. To aid future identification, the response team collected photographs of the whale's dorsal fin and gathered tiny pieces of skin from the entangling gear that may allow for genetic identification from DNA.

“If we know who the whale is, we can document future sightings and collect valuable data on movement and survival following this traumatic event,” Teerlink said. She added, “While we haven’t confirmed the identification of this whale, we have some information we can use to potentially connect it to future sightings.”

NOAA officials emphasized the crucial role of public reporting in enabling the rescue. “We are incredibly grateful to the whale watch community and everyone who reported this entangled whale to the NOAA Fisheries hotline,” said Sadie Wright, Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator for the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region. “The details provided by the public enabled our response team to prepare and execute a safe response to this life-threatening entanglement, leading to a successful outcome.”

Entanglement is one of the leading human-caused threats to large whales worldwide. In Alaska, humpback whales feed heavily in summer waters and may encounter fishing gear such as crab pots, gillnets, and longlines, putting them at ongoing risk. Successful disentanglement operations like this one not only save individual animals but also provide scientists with data to better understand entanglement patterns, improve response protocols, and inform efforts to reduce future incidents.

The Tracy Arm-Fords Terror wilderness, where the incident occurred, includes both Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm—steep glacial fjords that attract marine traffic and wildlife alike. As humpback whale populations recover in Southeast Alaska, interactions with commercial and recreational fishing gear remain a persistent challenge, underscoring the importance of coordinated response networks and public vigilance.