Marine mammal rescuers operating on Vancouver Island have reported a surge in whale entanglements this summer. Paul Cottrell, overseeing marine mammals at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, mentioned that his team has been dealing with one to two entanglements weekly for the past two months, consistent with last year’s figures. Alongside these incidents, they have conducted several necropsies.
The most recent distress call came just last week, marking the third activation of Cottrell’s team within a fortnight. This time, it involved a humpback whale calf and its mother near the southern coast of Vancouver Island, entangled in over 100 meters of rope. The calf had been dragging the rope since July 5, when it went missing from the central coast of British Columbia.
After tracking the gear, Cottrell’s team, in collaboration with U.S. counterparts, dedicated seven hours to freeing the calf. The successful rescue was a particularly rewarding experience for the team, emphasizing the importance of saving each individual animal.
Prior to this incident, the team had responded to two entanglement cases within two days. They spent significant time disentangling a whale named Wiggins for the second time in a year near French Creek on the island’s east coast before rushing to the central Island and the Alberni Inlet for a subsequent call. Unfortunately, entanglement incidents are on the rise, showing no signs of decline.
Humpback whales have been increasingly frequenting inshore waters of British Columbia, marking a positive resurgence in their population. However, this resurgence has led to a concerning overlap with inshore fishing gear, posing risks of entanglement. Jackie Hildering, a researcher and educator at the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), highlighted the conservation efforts that have given humpback whales a “second chance” after being nearly hunted to extinction.
Despite this, Hildering expressed concerns about the ongoing entanglement issues, stating that approximately 50% of the whales she has observed showed signs of previous entanglements, potentially underestimating the true extent of the problem. She emphasized that while disentanglements receive attention, they are not a definitive solution, with uncertain long-term survival rates for rescued whales.
Hildering stressed the importance of prevention and education as more effective strategies. She advocated for informing the public about ways to prevent humpback entanglements and deaths, recommending participation in a whale-safe boating course developed by MERS, supported by the federal government.
The frequency of entanglements continues to pose a significant challenge, underscoring the need for proactive measures to safeguard marine wildlife.