BAR HARBOR — A humpback whale that was rescued by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) officials after it became entangled in gear near the Duck islands last week stunned first responders when it was discovered entangled again on Friday in a new set of gear only a few miles from where it was rescued the first time.

“It’s very strange, we don’t see that very often at all,” said Jamison Smith, a program manager for NOAA who coordinates the entanglement response program for the Atlantic coast of the United States. “That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but it’s rare.”

On April 13, rescuers received a call from the Maine Marine Patrol that a humpback similar to one rescued April 9 was entangled in roughly the same area, three or four miles southeast of the Duck islands. The Marine Patrol was notified by a fisherman. NOAA determined it was the same animal.

“We launched a full-scale response over the weekend,” said Mr. Smith. “Staff from (College of the Atlantic) got involved and we were able to make three decisive cuts (in the tangled gear) that freed the animal.”

For more maritime news, pick up a copy of the Mount Desert Islander.