Marine animal rescuers operating on Vancouver Island have reported a surge in whale entanglements this summer. Paul Cottrell, the marine mammal coordinator at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, stated that his team has been responding to one to two entanglements weekly for the past two months, consistent with last year’s figures. Additionally, they have conducted several necropsies.
The most recent incident occurred last week when a humpback whale calf and its mother 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 after going missing from B.C.’s central coast.
Cottrell’s team successfully freed the calf after a seven-hour effort, collaborating with U.S. counterparts. This rescue marked the third activation of his team within a span of two weeks. Prior to this, they had disentangled a whale named Wiggins for the second time in a year near French Creek and responded to another entanglement at the Alberni Inlet on Vancouver Island’s central coast.
Cottrell emphasized the increasing frequency of such incidents, with entanglement rates showing no signs of decreasing. He highlighted the co-occurrence of humpback whales in inshore waters with fishing gear, posing a significant challenge.
Jackie Hildering, a researcher with the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), noted the positive impact of conservation efforts on humpback whale populations, which have experienced a resurgence after being nearly hunted to extinction. However, she expressed concerns about the persistent entanglement threats faced by these whales.
Hildering stressed the need for greater emphasis on prevention and education to address the entanglement issue effectively. She highlighted the prevalence of previously entangled whales in her research and underscored the importance of proactive measures to mitigate entanglement risks.
Encouraging public awareness, Hildering recommended participation in MERS’ whale safe boating course, endorsed by the federal government, to help prevent humpback entanglements and safeguard these marine creatures.
