Tangled Humpback Whale Freed In Dana Point

DANA POINT, CA — An entangled humpback whale was seen off the Dana Point coastline by Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari boats. All too familiar a scene, whale watchers got to see a grim side to the typically pleasant whale- watching cruise until disentanglement crews were able to cut the lines and set it free.

The marine mammal was stressed, according to Captain Dave Anderson, and doing repeated peduncle throws and tail slaps to remove the tangled lines. Witnesses on board viewed atypical whale behavior as the creature thrashed and landed its fluke on the surface in an effort to self-remove the tangle.

"Maybe it was feeling a lot more freedom from having some of the gear removed earlier in the day," Anderson said over Facebook post. "Some rope was still attached."

Crab gear from colder waters up north is a frequent cause for tangling whale and dolphin tails. On Sunday, a combined effort, the tangled whale was freed from the tangling Dungeness crab gear from the Washington state area.

"On Sunday, teams from Marine Animal Rescue left Dana Point Harbor while Pacific Marine Mammal Center and Sea World Rescue departed from Oceanside Harbor," a National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration spokesperson said over Facebook. "At approximately 10:30 a.m. the teams located the whale four miles offshore of the San Onofre power plant."

Responders from Marine Animal Rescue, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, SeaWorld Rescue, NOAA Fisheries and community members all joined in assisting to free the juvenile humpback, according to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center Facebook page.

The whale was in the neighborhood of 25 feet long and was drastically entangled, according to NOAA.

"NOAA Fisheries would like to thank Baywatch Cabrillo, Marine Animal Rescue, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol, Sea World Rescue, NOAA Fisheries staff, and community members who helped with boats and communications," it said of the combined effort.

According to NOAA, not just anyone can help disentangle a whale or marine creature.

"Only highly trained personnel permitted under NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (Permit # 18786-01) conduct whale rescues and dis-entanglements," the NOAA said.

The public can help by reporting entangled whales to the SOS-WHALe hotline (1-877-767-9425), and reporting entangled or stranded dolphins, seals, sea lions, or sea turtles to the local stranding network or NOAA Fisheries’ stranding hotline at 1-866-767-6114.

For more information see the NOAA webpage at West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network: http://bit.ly/1sPEyAf

According to Anderson, there is good news on the horizon for whale disentangling.

Anderson believes that he has found a possible solution to whale entanglement in relationship to the fishermen who set those traps: a pop-up buoy which stays coiled up while remaining down at the bottom of the sea.

"When a fisherman goes out to that location, a sonic signal is sent to the buoy, and it pops up to the surface so the fisherman can reclaim his trap," Anderson said. "The buoy eliminates the need for lines and gear to be in the water column, where dolphins and whales can get entangled."

This buoy is currently very expensive, with a per-unit cost of $10,000.

Anderson has contacted the builder and hopes to get the cost reduced to just a few hundred dollars, but only if the builder gets an order for 200,000 buoys.

"We are working to create awareness of this device and hopefully members of the fishing community will want to utilize this as soon as possible," Anderson said. "With there being nearly 400,000 Dungeness crab traps off the West Coast, the order for 200,000 units could easily be met!"

Video filmed by staff photographer Mark Tyson

www.DolphinSafari.com

Image, courtesy NOAA