The juvenile humpback whale, caught in lobster netting and gear near the Ambrose Channel, off Sandy Hook, NJ, was freed yesterday by a rescue team (another photograph of the rescue is after the jump). However, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Teri Frady said, "It does have serious injuries, but it is much better off than being anchored in the shipping lane." Here's video of the rescue, via CityRoom: more ›

The U.S. Coast Guard says that a 500-yard safety zone is being enforced around a humpback whale, which is "entangled in a lobster pot [and netting] and netting eight miles east of Sandy Hook near the approach to Ambrose Channel." The whale, which Newsday says is "a juvenile humpback, about 25 to 30 feet long," was seen on the surface and breathing. more ›