An entangled humpback whale spotted off the coast of Nanaimo, B.C., is free, thanks to the work of fishery officers and the Marine Mammal Rescue Team.

The Hawaiian humpback whale, nicknamed Astroboy, was spotted by crew and passengers aboard a Prince of Whales whale-watching vessel, about 12 nautical miles from Departure Bay.

Officials with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said they were able to free the whale from approximately 140 metres of poly steel rope.

They said they could see the whale was entangled in it because it was dragging the rope through the water behind it.

The Prince of Whales vessel stayed with the whale until the rescue team arrived.

“Debris is a real problem for marine wildlife,” the DFO said in a statement.

“The public can help prevent entanglement

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