Humpback whale entangled in 285ft of rope freed by rescuers off coast of Hawaii

Ocean giant breaches 'several times' next to response team after being released

An entangled humpback whale with line running from both sides of its mouth (AP)

A humpback whale spotted off the coast of Hawaii entangled in 285ft of rope has been freed by rescuers.

The animal was first spotted on Thursday by the captain of a fishing boat near Makena Beach, on Maui island.

A rescue team arrived on the scene, but were forced to wait after the whale became “very active” at the approach of the small inflatable dinghy.

The team eventually begun to remove the line after it calmed down, according to Hawaiian TV channel KGMB-TV.

With sunset approaching, crews put a tracking buoy on the rope and came back on Friday to finish the job.

"On release, the animal immediately breached several times," the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement. "With the removal of gear, it is believed that the animal has an excellent chance of surviving."

Humpback whale that was freed after being entangled breaches off Makena Beach (AP)

The rope will be analysed in an attempt to work out where it came from.

The NOAA reminded people it is illegal to approach a humpback whale within 100 yards by sea, and 1,000ft by plane.