Officials with SeaWorld San Diego said Nov. 1 they’re hopeful a 40-foot humpback whale rescued by crews off the coast of La Jolla Shores will survive even though the mammal still has fishing line in its mouth rescuers weren’t able to remove. SeaWorld and San Diego lifeguards worked the morning of Oct. 31 to free the whale from some netting, removing rope from the whale’s mouth. The whale was first spotted by boats off Balboa Pier in Newport Beach Oct. 30, caught in two lobster nets. A crew worked for several hours to untangle the whale but couldn’t completely free the animal, and they put a GPS tracking device on it so they could track its movements. Rescuers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cut at least 100 feet of rope and buoy off the whale Oct. 30 Rescuers in Orange County then informed SeaWorld San Diego the whale was headed south, and a rescue team was formed by Keith Yip, SeaWorld’s curator of animals. The San Diego rescue team worked for three hours to remove the fishing line and traveled five miles with the whale. A snarl of fishing line that trailed six feet behind the whale was removed first, followed by the removal of a second line of rope. Rescuers believe they cut enough line off the whale for it to have a high chance for survival. Officials believe it may be the same whale already untangled by crews earlier last week off the coast of La Jolla. – CBS 8