A rescue mission is under way after a whale was spotted entangled in a fishing net off the coast near San Francisco.

Footage showed the nine-metre (30ft) long creature swimming with its tail trapped in a massive gill net.

It comes as grey whales in the region swim north as part of their annual migration from the waters around Mexico to Alaska.

The animal was first spotted off Laguna Beach in southern California in March, when rescuers attached two red buoys to the net to make it easier to see.

Earlier this week rescue crews attempted to cut the net from the whale’s tail – but whenever they got close it became aggressive and they were unable to continue.

Justin Viezbicke, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said the animal “became very reactive”.

Officials from the NOAA and Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, are now searching for the whale north of San Francisco, as it is thought to be continuing its migration.

Kathi George, from the Marine Mammal Center, said crews had also attached a satellite tag to the net last month to track the whale’s movements – but it had since fallen off.

Read more from Sky News:
Kansas City Chiefs player hands himself in to police
Trump orders 30 milkshakes at Chick-fil-A
Drowning horse rescued from pond

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Ms George said the rescue team will try again to cut the net, or at least attempt to attach another satellite tag, if the creature is spotted again soon.

She said: “Our goal is to retrieve the gear that’s on the whale, so we can learn more about the entanglement and how it happened, so we could use that to inform risk reduction efforts.”

Every spring, grey whales migrate 5,000 miles from birthing waters off California and Mexico to feeding grounds in the Arctic.

Related posts:

Strained US-China relations make climate talks more difficult, John Kerry admits Amy Winehouse’s final performance dress among late singer’s items going up for auction One dead and dozens hurt as tornadoes strike Texas and Oklahoma ‘So many questions’: Harry asked about royals at awards ceremony Biden to approve scaled-back version of controversial $7bn oil and gas drilling project Five killed in Kentucky shooting Top publishing executive dies in boat crash aged 45 Disaster declaration issued and nuclear weapons plant shut down as Texas battles wildfires Terrifying video showing man buried headfirst in snow released as ‘whiteout’ blizzard bears down on US Biden’s sarcastic response after Trump boasts about winning trophies at his own golf club Trump hush-money trial date set before election Girl, 8, dies after being ‘violently sucked’ into hotel swimming pool pipes