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.

SeaWorld's killer whales Show all 10 1 /10 SeaWorld's killer whales SeaWorld's killer whales Visitors are greeted by an Orca killer whale as they attend a show featuring the whales during a visit to the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales A trainer shows the crowd a killer whale during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales An Orca killer whale is seen underwater at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Visitors get a close-up view of an Orca killer whale during a visit to the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Tillikum, a killer whale at SeaWorld amusement park, performs during the show "Believe" in Orlando, September 3, 2009. A killer whale at the SeaWorld amusement park in central Florida killed a trainer on February 24, 2010, police and company executives said. According to the Orlando Sentinel the orca involved in the incident, named Tillikum but popularly known as "Tilly," has a controversial past. Mathieu Belanger/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales An unidentified trainer works with a killer whale during the "Believe" show at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, in this photograph taken on February 14, 2010. A killer whale at the SeaWorld amusement park in central Florida killed a trainer on February 24, 2010, police and company executives said. Picture taken February 14. Richard Baum/Reuters