Aquarium says watch out for whales

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center is asking local fisherman to watch out for whales .

The Stranding Team said it got a call about a humpback whale tangled in fishing lure. The hook from the lure appeared to have embedded itself into the whale's skin.

"The major concern with this type of entanglement is not the hook, but the trailing monofilament which, depending on how much line is attached, may wrap around an animal's flippers or jaw and cause lacerations, loss of circulation and/or infection," Susan Barco, Virginia Aquarium research coordinator and senior scientist, said. "Entanglements in monofilament are extremely difficult to mitigate, and disentanglement is not possible in this case."

The Virginia Aquarium added this type of injury can be prevented by making sure you don't leave any fishing gear in the water.