MANHATTAN BEACH (CNS) – A Marine Animal Rescue crew removed a length of rope that was snagged around the tail fins of a 20-foot gray whale off the coast of Manhattan Beach, the organization reported today.

The rescue operation was conducted on Thursday afternoon, said MAR spokesman Peter Wallerstein.

“The small whale was trailing about 10 feet of line on either side of it. We wasted no time and began our approach to attempt to free the whale,” he said. “By this time, the whale was close to shore.”

Wallerstein said the “line was so tightly wrapped around the fluke (that) the first attempts to cut it free were unsuccessful. Then, we were able to snag the trailing line and pull ourselves closer to the whale. We maneuvered ourselves to the fluke … and the rope line was removed from the whale.”