A tailless humpback whale has been spotted swimming off the coast of Washington state, newly released footage shows.
The animal likely lost its 15-foot-wide tail, also known as a caudal fin, after becoming entangled, possibly in some type of fishing line or gear, experts said.
That loss of flippers, which are the whale's primary mode of propulsion in the water, is a likely death sentence for the creature, last reported seen in late July.
Entanglement is one of the dangers humpback whales face, along with collisions or harassment by ships or boats and the potential impacts of climate change on food.
