Entangled Juvenile Humpback Euthanized in Oregon

A juvenile humpback whale entangled in crab fishing gear was euthanized on Monday after two days of failed rescue attempts on a beach near Yachats, Oregon. The animal, estimated to be one to three years old and measuring about 26 to 30 feet long, washed ashore at San Marine State Park on Saturday evening, November 15, amid powerful surf and low temperatures during king tide season.

The whale became trapped in ropes from a crab pot, which wrapped around its mouth and fins, weakening it and preventing effective navigation. Experts believe the creature beached itself as a survival instinct, seeking shallow water to rest, though such strandings often prove fatal for large marine mammals. Weighing tens of thousands of pounds, the humpback showed signs of exhaustion and distress as it tumbled in the surf before coming to rest on the sand.

Community members and volunteers responded quickly to social media alerts, gathering at the site with ropes, buckets, shovels, and wetsuits to assist. On Saturday night and into Sunday, dozens of people worked through dangerous conditions, pouring seawater on the whale during low tide to keep it cool and attempting to rotate its body toward the...