Marine mammal rescuers on Vancouver Island are reporting a busy summer season dealing with whale entanglements. Paul Cottrell, who coordinates marine mammal activities for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, mentioned that their team has responded to an average of one to two entanglements weekly over the past two months, consistent with last year’s figures. They have also conducted several necropsies during this period.
In the most recent incident, the team was called out for the third time in under two weeks 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, which it had been dragging since July 5 when it was initially reported missing from the central coast of British Columbia.
The rescue team, in collaboration with U.S. counterparts, spent seven hours freeing the calf from the entanglement. Cottrell expressed the team’s satisfaction in saving the calf, emphasizing the importance of each animal’s well-being.
Prior to this incident, the team had responded to two entanglement calls in two consecutive days. They successfully disentangled a whale named Wiggins for the second time in a year near French Creek on Vancouver Island’s eastern coast before rushing to the central Island and the Alberni Inlet for another rescue operation.
Cottrell noted the increasing frequency of such entanglements, with no signs of a decline in rates. He attributed this trend to the rising number of humpback whales in British Columbia’s inshore waters, a positive outcome of conservation efforts. However, he highlighted the concerning overlap between humpbacks and fishing gear in these areas.
Jackie Hildering, a researcher and educator at the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), praised the conservation efforts that have provided humpback whales with a “second chance” after being nearly driven to extinction. Nonetheless, she expressed concerns about the ongoing entanglement issues jeopardizing this progress.
Hildering emphasized the importance of prevention and education in addressing entanglement risks, pointing out that disentanglements, while garnering attention, are not a long-term solution. She highlighted the need for informed actions to prevent humpback entanglements and fatalities, advocating for participation in whale-safe boating courses endorsed by the federal government.
The marine mammal rescue team continues to be vigilant in responding to entanglement incidents, aiming to safeguard the well-being of marine mammals in the region.