Fisheries and Oceans Canada was able to free a humpback whale that had gotten tangled in more than 100 metres of fishing gear.

The entanglement was spotted and reported Sunday, Sept. 21, by Nanaimo-based Vancouver Island Whale Watch.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in a statement, noted that fishery officers were able to attach a satellite tag to the trailing gear, and monitored the animal until the location and weather became safe for rescuers.

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the DFO's marine mammal rescue unit and whale protection unit and the Department of National Defence – as the humpback was near the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges – co-operated on a "huge effort," the statement noted, removing nearly 140 metres of rope and gear over six hours. For video of t

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