Over half of the humpback whales in the North Pacific come to Hawaii to breed, give birth and nurse their young. But on their journey across the ocean, many whales become entangled in fishing gear, dragging it along for thousands of miles. Eventually this will kill the whale.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary works to cut whales free, and gathers information to prevent entanglements in the future. The Humpback Whale Sanctuary is shortly featured in the documentary, but here you can watch the in-depth story on how Ed Lyman coordinates their Large Whale Entanglement Response program.