SEATTLE -- The five Makah tribal members who killed a gray whale over the weekend were also part of the tribe's historic whale hunt in 1999, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.

The Makah Tribe identified the five men accused of killing the whale in an unauthorized hunt. They are Theron Parker, Andy Noel, Billy Secor, Frank Gonzales Junior and Wayne Johnson. They were released from tribal custody.

The Makah Tribal Council said the killing was "a blatant violation" of tribal law and promised to prosecute the men. Chad Bowechop, a member of the Makah Indian Tribe's whaling commission, said the panel did not authorize the killing of the whale that was harpooned and shot several times.

In addition, each man could face up to a $20,000 fine and a year in jail if convicted of violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Wayne Johnson, who led the crew that legally killed a whale eight years ago, told The Seattle Times he's proud of killing the whale and wishes he had done it earlier.

He said he comes from a whaling family and it's in his blood.

He said a 40-foot whale came alongside their boat off Neah Bay and they hit it with five whaling harpoons and four seal harpoons. Then they shot it with a high-powered rifle. The whale later sank and died.

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday said she is "very upset" by the killing of the whale. She told a news conference in Olympia she's encouraged that the tribe did not condone Saturday's hunt and that it's prosecuting the whalers.

Also on Monday, the Port Angeles Daily News reported that representatives of the Makah tribe are traveling to Washington, D.C, to assure members of Congress it did not approve Saturday's hunt.

The delegation hopes to meet with Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Congressman Norm Dicks. Tribal Chairman Ben Johnson, Jr. said they need to know the tribe did not condone the hunt.

He said the killing has hurt the Makah's case with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the public. The tribe is seeking a permit to resume authorized whaling.

The Coast Guard and National Marine Fisheries Service said the whale could refloat as it decays.

If it is found, the carcass would likely be evidence in a case against the rogue hunters.

Coast Guard spokesman Shawn Eggert said buoys were cut from the whale when it sank Saturday, but it still carries a harpoon.

National Marine Fisheries Service spokesman Brian Gorman said the decaying process could cause the whale to float in two or three days in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but it could drift for miles and never be found. He said hundreds of gray whales die every year of natural causes and very few are found on beaches.