Humpback entanglements increase, as whales return to same spots where shellfish traps are set
For example, a humpback whale calf was disentangled from 300 feet of rope one week ago in southern Vancouver Island waters. Two humpback whales were rescued on the same day in the Salish Sea, between Lasqueti Island and French Creek. Disentanglements like these are becoming increasingly more common, says Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal co-ordinator with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
” Cottrell was just recently in Port Renfrew working with the Pacheedaht First Nation on a witness call about a whale entanglement. Both DFO and researchers trace whale movements by attaching a whale tag onto the buoys, while the DFO monitors humpback whales using drones.
However, according to preliminary results from the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) and collaborators, scarring has been observed on 50 per cent of humpback whales from at least one entanglement in their lives. The long-term effects of entanglements include deep punctures into the skin, restricting ways to eat and mobility – all detrimental to the humpback whale’s life. The exact effects of entanglements, however, remain a mystery.
Humpback whales have been making a comeback in Pacific inshore waters since the late 2000s. “Seeing [humpback whales] come back is amazing and I think it is also a sign of our productive ecosystems that are coming back as well,” said Cottrell. Dr. Rhonda Reidy, a researcher in humpback whale feeding habits, identified in her research that the whales are revisiting summer feeding grounds.
” Humpback whale researcher Jackie Hildering also identified the same overlap through her research. Hildering works as an Education and Communications director with MERS and studies entanglement scars left on humpback whales. “You want to learn from every disentanglement. What was the source? What were the rafts like?
Romanticizing disentanglements might perpetuate the problem of whales continually getting caught. Hildering focuses on reducing the overlap by attempting to educate what truly happens when a whale is entangled. MERS trains fisheries officers and they offer whale-safe boating courses, for example. Deglamorizing the heroic acts of unsafe and often fatal disentanglements is another way Hildering encourages folks to educate themselves on the reality of humpback whales. A disentanglement is never done alone.
If you witness an entanglement, please call the 24-hour DFO incident line at +1 800 465 4336 immediately.
” Cottrell was just recently in Port Renfrew working with the Pacheedaht First Nation on a witness call about a whale entanglement. Both DFO and researchers trace whale movements by attaching a whale tag onto the buoys, while the DFO monitors humpback whales using drones.
However, according to preliminary results from the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) and collaborators, scarring has been observed on 50 per cent of humpback whales from at least one entanglement in their lives. The long-term effects of entanglements include deep punctures into the skin, restricting ways to eat and mobility – all detrimental to the humpback whale’s life. The exact effects of entanglements, however, remain a mystery.
Humpback whales have been making a comeback in Pacific inshore waters since the late 2000s. “Seeing [humpback whales] come back is amazing and I think it is also a sign of our productive ecosystems that are coming back as well,” said Cottrell. Dr. Rhonda Reidy, a researcher in humpback whale feeding habits, identified in her research that the whales are revisiting summer feeding grounds.
” Humpback whale researcher Jackie Hildering also identified the same overlap through her research. Hildering works as an Education and Communications director with MERS and studies entanglement scars left on humpback whales. “You want to learn from every disentanglement. What was the source? What were the rafts like?
Romanticizing disentanglements might perpetuate the problem of whales continually getting caught. Hildering focuses on reducing the overlap by attempting to educate what truly happens when a whale is entangled. MERS trains fisheries officers and they offer whale-safe boating courses, for example. Deglamorizing the heroic acts of unsafe and often fatal disentanglements is another way Hildering encourages folks to educate themselves on the reality of humpback whales. A disentanglement is never done alone.
If you witness an entanglement, please call the 24-hour DFO incident line at +1 800 465 4336 immediately.
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