Juvenile whale shark reported entangled off coast of Maui

OLOWALU, MAUI (HAWAII NEWS NOW) - A 15-foot juvenile whale shark was reported entangled off the coast of Maui, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA said Tuesday it was spotted near Olowalu with a heavy gauge line wrapped around its fins, weighing it down. That's making rescue efforts difficult.

Experts say whale sharks tend to swim thousands of feet deep.

Meanwhile, another group of researchers has been tracking an increase in whale shark encounters.

Hawaii Uncharted uses software to analyze photos of sightings from around Hawaii. The group has catalogued more than 80, mostly off the Kona coast.

The entangled whale shark off Maui is new to them.

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