Rescuers aid whale tangled in fishing line
A young humpback whale was disentangled from a life-threatening monofilament fishing line Wednesday off Kihei, Maui, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The line was removed by NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program team. The effort was coordinated by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. It involved personnel from the sanctuary, the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Corps and the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund.
The entangled whale was likely a yearling and had multiple wraps of heavy-gauge monofilament longline around its tail, with bundles of gear trailing, sanctuary Superintendent Malia Chow said in a statement Thursday.
The lines were wrapped around and cutting into the tailstock, resulting in deep wounds. The animal was thin, covered with parasites, and had shark bites on its tail as well, said Chow.
The 30-foot whale was first spotted by Maui County lifeguards, who monitored the animal until the response team arrived aboard the vessel Kohola.
Using knives on long poles, the team removed nearly all of the entangling gear and hope the remaining line will be fall off over time.
This was the first entanglement response of the 2014-15 whale season as humpbacks return from summer feeding grounds in Alaska. Reports of entangled whales can be made to the NOAA Fisheries Hotline at 888-256-9840.
Public asked to watch for injured birds
Sea Life Park is asking residents to keep an eye out for injured shearwater fledglings.
"We luckily haven’t had the numbers of distressed birds being brought in this year as in the past," said Jeff Pawloski, the park’s curator, in a statement Thursday. "However, we still want people to be on the lookout for them. Fledging birds become disoriented while flying at night by street and other exterior lighting. They begin to tire and could land far from their nesting area."
If the bird is a hatchling, with no feathers, or a nestling, with few or fuzzy feathers, and shows no sign of injury, it is best to leave it alone, the park said. The bird’s mother may be nearby.
A fledgling, with most of its feathers, often will leave the nest as part of the weaning process or may hop out to test its wings. Usually the mother remains in the area, feeding and watching over it.
But if the mother is not around or the bird is injured or in an unsafe spot, it should be dropped off at Sea Life Park, which will accept shearwaters at all hours.
The bird should be picked up from behind by wrapping a towel or other cloth around its back and wings. It should be placed in a cardboard box with air holes and with a towel in the bottom and taken directly to the park.