British Columbia whale watchers tracked Pop Tart through fog, then the tangled whale swam free

Pop Tart, a humpback whale loved in the Salish Sea, is swimming freely again after nearly a week dragging fishing gear through busy coastal waters. Reported by KOMO News via the Pacific Whale Watch Association, she was first spotted on July 2 off Victoria, British Columbia, by the crew of Orca Spirit Adventures. The whale was nicknamed Pop Tart because of frequent surface breaches as a calf. After being seen entangled in gear, Fisheries and Oceans Canada deployed its Marine Mammal Response Team while whale-watching vessels maintained visual contact. Drone footage later showed a buoy and more than 98 feet of fishing rope attached to her pectoral flipper. The gear was secured on July 6 despite rough weather, and Pop Tart was confirmed fully disentangled on July 8 off Race Rocks after teams resumed the search.