Marine animal rescuers on Vancouver Island have reported a high number of whale entanglements this summer. Paul Cottrell, in charge of marine mammals at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, revealed that his team has been dealing with an average of one to two entanglements per week for the past two months, similar to last year’s figures. They have also conducted several necropsies.
The most recent incident involved a humpback whale calf and its mother, who were discovered near the south 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 B.C.’s central coast. The rescue operation took seven hours, with assistance from U.S. counterparts.
Cottrell mentioned that his team had responded to three incidents in less than two weeks. One of these involved disentangling a whale named Wiggins for the second time in a year near French Creek and the Alberni Inlet. He expressed concern over the increasing frequency of entanglements, especially with the rising presence of humpback whales in British Columbia’s inshore waters.
Jackie Hildering, a researcher at the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), emphasized the importance of conservation efforts in providing a “second chance” for humpback whales, which were once on the brink of extinction due to hunting. However, she raised concerns about the ongoing entanglement issues, noting that 50% of the whales she has studied showed signs of previous entanglements.
Hildering stressed the need for prevention and education to address the entanglement problem effectively, stating that disentanglements, while important, are not a long-term solution. She advocated for initiatives like the MERS whale safe boating course endorsed by the federal government to educate people on preventing humpback entanglements and fatalities.