A NOAA crew cut a tangled humpback free at Endicott Arm

On the evening of May 10, mariners in Southeast Alaska spotted a juvenile humpback whale tangled in lines at the narrow mouth of Endicott Arm. Getting it loose fell to a NOAA Fisheries crew, who motored out in a small inflatable and — working within arm's reach of a distressed wild animal many times their size — cut the whale free using long poles fitted with specialized knives.

Freeing an entangled whale is dangerous, specialized work — nationwide, only 94 people are authorized to do the higher-risk versions of it. "When well-intentioned members of the public take matters into their own hands," NOAA warns, "they put themselves and the animals in grave danger."

And the need is growing: NOAA confirmed 95 large-whale entanglements nationwide in 2024, up from 64 the year before. Alaska's tight fjords and busy marine corridors — places exactly like Endicott Arm — make encounters between whales and gear especially likely here.

So if you see a whale in trouble, the best thing you can do is nothing: stay at least 50 yards back and call it in. In Alaska, that's (877) 925-7773, or hail the Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16.