HILO, Hawai'i — Whale disentanglement experts were able to cut line wrapped around a 40-foot humpback whale near 'Upolu Point at the northern tip of the Big Island Wednesday and remove most of the debris the whale had been dragging along behind it.

Naomi McIntosh, manager for the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said the crew used a satellite tag that was placed on the whale Tuesday to locate the animal, and the crew cut lines to remove a tangle of gear the animal was towing behind it.

The crew retrieved about 200 feet of various types of line, but sanctuary officials have not yet identified what sort of gear was involved, McIntosh said. Attached to the lines were portions of some "very large anchors or hooks — we're still trying to identify what that was," she said.

Sanctuary officials are unsure of the outlook for the whale, which was discolored and had a parasite known as "whale lice" that are generally a sign the animal's health has been compromised.

"Certainly the whale has a better chance of survival with most of that gear removed than it had previously, but we're just not sure if the animal is going to recover from this," McIntosh said.

Ed Lyman, marine mammal response manager for Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said the whale was lethargic and weakened, which allowed Lyman and other rescue crew members to approach with little difficulty in an inflatable boat.

The crew cut one line that was wrapped around the whale and two more dangling from its mouth, and the whale dove when the last line was cut, Lyman said.

Lyman said the whale was emaciated and guessed the animal had lost as much as a quarter of its normal 40-ton weight. The whale is 2,000 miles from its primary feeding grounds to the north, and Lyman said it's unclear whether the whale will be strong enough to make the journey.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.