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\nA young humpback whale has died nearly two days after it was discovered trapped in an entanglement of crab pot line on the Oregon CoastAt the time, dozens of bystanders attempted to rescue the creature amid powerful waves and freezing cold waters\u201cThe Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission must adopt stronger conservation measures to reduce whale entanglements in the Oregon Dungeness crab fishery,\u201d Oceana Fisheries Campaign Director Ben Enticknap insisted in a statement<\/p>\n
A young humpback whale has died nearly two days after it was discovered trapped in an engagement of crab pot line<\/a> on the Oregon Coast.\n<\/p>\n On Nov. 15, TikTok creator Jacob Colvin shared a video<\/a> documenting the frantic efforts of dozens of bystanders to save the 6,000-pound animal that had become stranded amid freezing and powerful surf.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I got on scene, there were about 20 people next to the whale,\u201d Colvin told PEOPLE at the time. \u201cThey had a rope tied to the whale\u2019s tail and a line of people pulling the rope, while a group of people were pushing the whale\u2019s head. They were trying to rotate the whale so that it would face outward towards the ocean.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Humpback whale stranded on Oregon Coast.<\/p>\n Oregon State Parks Facebook<\/p>\n Despite the community\u2019s tireless efforts to rescue the juvenile creature amid extremely dangerous conditions, the humpback was euthanized around 3 p.m. on Nov. 17 because, as a spokesperson for the Hatfield Marine Science Center told Oregon news outlet KGW8<\/a>, it was highly unlikely the whale would survive until the next high tide.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n Following the whale\u2019s tragic death, Oceana Fisheries Campaign Director Ben Enticknap expressed that the incident served as a \u201cpainful reminder of a preventable problem: entanglement in fishing gear.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cDespite steps to reduce the amount of commercial crab gear and close certain areas off Oregon in the late spring and summer, too many whales continue to get entangled and die,\u201d he explained in a statement to PEOPLE. \u201cThe Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission must adopt stronger conservation measures to reduce whale entanglements in the Oregon Dungeness crab fishery and incentivize the use of whale-safe pop-up fishing gear, which keeps the lines and buoys on the seafloor until fishermen are ready to retrieve the gear.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Humpback whale stranded on Oregon Coast.<\/p>\n Jacob Colvin<\/p>\n Enticknap went on to state that entanglements in Oregon are at record levels. At the time of the incident, there had already been three entanglements following another three in 2024.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n As fishermen, manufacturers, and state wildlife officials embrace this gear innovation, the National Marine Fisheries Service and Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission must take stronger action to protect threatened and endangered whales,” Enticknap continued.\n<\/p>\n Colvin shared the news of the whale’s passing<\/a> with his followers on Nov. 17.\n<\/p>\n