Ultralight pilot Gerry Charlebois of Birds of Paradise reported sighting an entangled whale Thursday morning. Charlebois said he was aloft when he saw an adult whale about a mile east of Port Allen at 9:30 a.m. The whale had white
Ultralight pilot Gerry Charlebois of Birds of Paradise reported sighting an entangled whale Thursday morning.
Charlebois said he was aloft when he saw an adult whale about a mile east of Port Allen at 9:30 a.m. The whale had white splotches on its back, and was trailing netting about 20-30 feet past its tail, said Jean Souza of the Kaua‘i office of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Souza said that anyone again spotting the whale should call the Marine Mammal Emergency Hotline at 1-888-256-9840.
Souza said Thursday night science and whale rescue coordinator David Mattila of Maui arrived on Kaua‘i and is ready to disentangle the line.
“Call it in, don’t try to disentangle the line,” Souza said. She said a team trained in such operations will be sent out to help the whale. “The location, direction its moving (should be noted),” Souza said, ” and if a boat can stay with whale until responders come is the best thing.”
