Entangled whale freed from fishing line
COURTESY NOAA
This entangled adult humpback whale was freed off the coast of Maui on Monday.
COURTESY NOAA
A team of trained responders helped free a whale off of Lahaina after reports that the animal was trailing approximately 400 feet of heavy-gauge line from its mouth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
COURTESY NOAA
Responders freed an entangled adult humpback whale off the coast of Maui on Monday.
An entangled adult humpback whale was freed off the coast of Maui on Christmas Day.
A team of trained responders helped free the whale off of Lahaina after reports that the animal was trailing approximately 400 feet of heavy gauge line from its mouth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
All gear was successfully removed and recovered. Scientists will measure and analyze the gear to determine its possible origins and to try reducing entanglement threats in the future.
The crew aboard a tour bout, Wahine Kai, from Ultimate Whale Watch, first reported the entangled whale at 11:50 a.m.
At 1:20 p.m., the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s response vessel, Kohola, deployed from Maalaea Harbor with personnel and volunteers from the Humpback Whale Sanctuary, NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Corps on board. The U.S. Coast Guard was ready to assist if needed.
About 10 minutes later, the West Maui response team was able to attach a telemetry buoy to the trailing gear in order to relocate the whale should it be lost. The line in the mouth appeared to end as it exited on the right side. When the Kohola arrived by 2:30 p.m., the entangled whale was not spending much time at the surface, so efforts were made to slow it down, keep it closer to the surface and perhaps be able to pull the gear from its mouth. At about 4:46 p.m. crews were able to pull the line from the whale’s mouth and freed it.
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A humpback whale carcass, meanwhile, was discovered off of Haleiwa Boat Harbor on Oahu’s North Shore on Christmas Day, attracting the attention of sharks. NOAA’s Marine Mammal Response Program Coordinator David Schofield said crews were working with the state and Coast Guard to tow it another 10 miles from its current location about three miles off shore.
Mariners are asked to keep a sharp lookout for whales in distress, but not to approach closely or attempt to assist them. Only trained and well-equipped responders that are authorized under NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program are permitted to assist whales and other marine mammals. Call the NOAA 24-hour hotline at 1-888 256-9840 or radio the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF channel 16 to report whales in distress.
It is illegal to approach a humpback whale closer than 100 yards by any means by sea and 1,000 feet by aircraft.
