A humpback whale was caught in a dozen crab traps off the coast of San Francisco, struggling to free itself. A team of divers, led by James Mosquito, an experienced diver, were called to the scene. James jumped into the water, despite the risk of shark attacks, and began cutting the rope. After freeing the whale, it surprisingly swam back to James and began nudging him playfully, swimming around him in a figure-eight pattern. The team was amazed by the whale's behavior, and James described the experience as surreal.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A humpback whale got caught in some rope and was struggling to break free.
2. The whale was swimming close to the shoreline of an American city.
3. The rope was from crab traps that had been set up the day before.
4. The traps were empty when set up, but had filled up overnight, weighing around 3,000 pounds.
5. The whale was unable to breathe underwater and needed to regularly swim upwards for oxygen.
6. The whale was exhausted and fatigued after hours of struggling.
7. James Mosquito, an experienced diver, joined a team of people who went out to sea to help the whale.
8. The team was approximately seven miles away from the coast of San Francisco.
9. James jumped into the water and began to cut the rope to free the whale.
10. The whale was stuck to the rope, which had dug deep into its skin, creating burns and cuts.
11. The rope was over a mile long, making it difficult for the whale to escape.
12. James and his team worked together to cut the rope and free the whale.
13. The whale was eventually freed and swam away.
14. The whale returned to James and began to nudge him lightly, giving its playful thanks.
15. The whale swam around James in a figure of eight, playing with him for several minutes.
16. James was still in the water when the whale returned to thank him.