Posted on: Saturday, March 8, 2003

No new sightings of entangled whale

Advertiser Staff

There have been no additional sightings reported in Maui County waters of an entangled whale dragging an orange or red buoy, but the Hawaiian Islands Disentanglement Network team remained busy yesterday searching for another humpback in trouble off Hale'iwa.

Few details were available, but David Matilla, rescue coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said the team mobilized after a report of the O'ahu sighting was deemed credible.

Two reports of a whale dragging a buoy were received this week, once off Moloka'i and again off Lana'i.

The disentanglement team, a partnership of state and federal agencies, freed a young 35-foot humpback off Maui on Feb. 23 that had 100 feet of rope wrapped around its midsection.