Marine mammal rescuers operating on Vancouver Island have reported a significant increase in whale entanglements this summer. Paul Cottrell, the marine mammal coordinator at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, stated that his team has been responding to an average of one to two entanglements per week over the past two months, aligning with last year’s figures. Alongside these incidents, several necropsies have also been conducted.
In the most recent episode, the team was called to assist a humpback whale calf and its mother near the south coast of Vancouver Island. The calf was entangled in over 100 meters of rope, with the team tracing back the gear to determine that the entanglement had been ongoing since July 5 when the calf went missing from B.C.’s central coast.
The rescue operation took seven hours, during which the calf was successfully freed with the collaboration of U.S. counterparts. Cottrell expressed satisfaction at saving the calf, emphasizing the importance of every animal’s well-being.
Prior to this incident, there were two consecutive calls within two days. The team worked tirelessly to disentangle a whale named Wiggins for the second time in a year near French Creek before swiftly responding to another call at the Alberni Inlet on the central Island. Cottrell highlighted the increasing frequency of such entanglements, noting a concerning trend with no signs of entanglement rates decreasing.
Jackie Hildering, a researcher and educator at the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), acknowledged the positive conservation efforts that have led to a “second chance” for humpback whales, once on the brink of extinction due to hunting. However, she expressed concern that this opportunity is being jeopardized by the ongoing entanglement issues.
Hildering stressed the urgency of prevention and education, citing that approximately 50% of whales observed through her research display signs of past entanglements. She emphasized the need for proactive measures to mitigate entanglements, advocating for awareness and participation in whale safe boating courses to safeguard marine mammals effectively.