Entangled Humpback Whale Rescued

[jackdaniels]

Entangled Humpback Whale Rescued

On Sunday afternoon, December 6, 2009, the juvenile humpback whale found entangled in a web of polypropylene rope last week was set free. Members from NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA’s Pacific Islands Regional Office and Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) were able to approach close enough to cut the entangling lines using specialized equipment. Using telemetry equipment the response team located the animal in waters west of Moloka`i. The animal’s exact location was identified from a U.S. Coast Guard HH65 Helicopter after the team crossed the Kaiwi channel from Oahu aboard a U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat.

This was a unique event because the whale was a yearling swimming in close proximity with its mother and a male escort. Past disentanglements have not included other animals in such tight association. Also, this entanglement involved an energetic yearling that added to the high degree of difficulty. All rescue responses are potentially dangerous.

This rescue played out over the last five days. Because the animal was able to be tagged, we were able to track it while waiting for the best opportunity for action based on resources and ocean conditions.

After several days of monitoring, the crew attached a sea anchor, a device like a parachute underwater. The whale finally slowed and began staying near the surface. The team then hooked a knife to the rope near the whale's back using a long pole, needling the blade between the rope and a cleft left by a wound from the rope. The knife was then attached to another sea anchor, and after 10 minutes it sliced through the line freeing the whale.

When all the gear was removed, at 2:14 p.m., the whale appeared to be in good shape, and swam away with the mother and escort. The response team retrieved the gear from the whale, which was in total approximately 350 feet of heavy gage yellow polypropylene line.

The team was pleased to save this whale from a life-threatening entanglement; however, it is important to stress that the main goal is to gain information to reduce the threat of entanglement. Although freeing the animal is one goal, our main goal is to reduce the rate of entanglement in the future by understanding details like, “How was the gear set? How did the whale become entangled?”

This disentanglement followed specific protocols based on authorization and permitting. It takes a networked effort of many organizations and agencies working together to cut a large whale free. This includes not only logistics, but also direct assistance with the disentanglement operation.

Member of the team included:

Ed Lyman, Marine Mammal Response Manager, NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (coordinating the effort, cutting the whale free)

David Schofield, Marine Mammal Stranding Response Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Regional Office (logistics, preparation of gear, acquired new pole system that was used in rescue, onboard assistance)

David Nichols, Acting Sanctuary Co-Manager, State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (logistics, preparation of gear, acquired new pole system that was used in rescue, onboard assistance)

Eric Roberts, United States Coast Guard (planning assistance, vessels, logistics)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Lundy, United States Coast Guard (in charge of support boat with Coast Guard)

Last updated December 5, 2009 9:00 a.m.
Information Prior to Rescue

On Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 7:20 a.m., NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Disentanglement Network received a call from Pacific Whale Foundation's vessel, Ocean Explorer, concerning a subadult humpback whale (approximately 30 - 35 feet in length) entangled off Launiopoko, Maui. NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary mounted a response effort with assistance from the United States Coast Guard and Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources. The entanglement involved hundreds of feet of heavy gauge, yellow poly line, originating from both sides of the whale's mouth. The line crossed tightly over the whale's head behind the blowholes to form a knot, which then trailed hundreds of feet behind as two lines. One of the trailing lines terminated in a bundle of gear.

Ocean Explorer stood by over an hour to make sure the animal was not lost while the sanctuary's response boat was enroute. The United States Coast Guard, sector Honolulu, provided aerial support by diverting a helicopter on exercises to the area, while Coast Guard station Maui was prepared to provide surface support if it was needed.

By 10:00 a.m. the sanctuary's vessel, Hihimanu, was on site. After additional assessment and documentation it was determined that the entanglement was indeed life threatening. Due to rough sea conditions a full disentanglement effort could not be immediately carried out. However, to help re-locate the animal for a disentanglement effort when conditions allowed, the animal was tagged with a telemetry buoy (holding a GPS and satellite transmitter package) which was attached to the trailing gear.

[neilinov]

That's nothing bunch of sissys. They need to take some lessons from my bro's down in Eleuthera!

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