Baby sea creature spent months entangled in fishing gear. Then a ‘miracle’ in CA

A baby sea creature was caught in fishing gear for months off the coast of California, a company said.

Chex Mix, the calf of a “well-known” mama humpback in the area, found itself trapped in a “complicated fishing gear entanglement in June of this year,” according to an Oct. 15 Facebook post by Monterey Bay Whale Watch.

For months, the baby was stuck in the fishing gear while trying to learn how to be a whale from its mama, the company said.

The gear was wrapped around the pectoral flipper and across the whale’s back through the mouth area, and multiple rescue missions were unsuccessful, the post said.

Then came a “miracle.”

The baby, full of “strength” and “resiliency,” freed itself from the gear, the company said.

Calves stay close to their mom for up to a year before weaning, with the mother being “protective” and “swimming closely and often touching them with their flippers,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Although the whale watching company said these situations don’t usually have “happy endings,” it was “thrilled” to see the pair out in the water, the post said.

Facebook users shared their thoughts on the “wonderful news” with one person saying, “This news absolutely made my day. SO happy. YAY Chex Mix! What a survivor.”

“So glad Chex Mix is free,” another wrote.

Monterey is about a 120-mile drive south from San Francisco.

This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Baby sea creature spent months entangled in fishing gear. Then a ‘miracle’ in CA."