LIHU‘E — Officials overnight lost track of the entangled, juvenile humpback whale sighted Tuesday off Na Pali Coast. Jean Souza, Kaua‘i coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said Wednesday that she is hoping someone on the
LIHU‘E — Officials overnight lost track of the entangled, juvenile humpback whale sighted Tuesday off Na Pali Coast.
Jean Souza, Kaua‘i coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said Wednesday that she is hoping someone on the water may spot it and report it to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Fisheries hotline at 1-888-256-9840.
The whale was last seen at dusk Tuesday off Port Allen, dragging some 60 to 80 feet of line.
Souza has been working with Ed Lyman, a whale rescue expert with the sanctuary, since the sighting was first reported at about 11 a.m., Tuesday.
“Our role, along with the United States Coast Guard, is as first-responders,” Souza said. “We assess the entanglement, see how the whale is tangled, and report so the rescue personnel can free the whale.”
One of the first things they do when assessing, she said, is attach a tracking buoy. But for a number of reasons, the buoy could not be attached to this whale.
Following the report from a helicopter firm who notified the Coast Guard, a USCG patrol on the Westside of Kaua‘i was diverted in response.
Souza said the crew spent some time with the whale, photographing the distressed mammal and tracking it visually.
After examining the photos, she said the whale is a juvenile in fair condition, although somewhat emaciated. Witnesses have estimated the whale’s length at 30 to 35 feet.
Lyman told the Associated Press that the gear the whale is dragging may have prevented it from eating. He added that this is a whale that “would have a high likelihood of survival.”
“We don’t know where it got tangled, or how long it has been in that situation,” Souza said. “It might have picked up the net up north and migrated with it to Hawaiian waters.”
She said based on the observations of its course and speed on Tuesday, the whale could have been off the coast of O‘ahu by Wednesday afternoon or, because of its unknown intentions, the mammal may still be in Kaua‘i waters.
“If it’s in Kaua‘i waters, we’re relying on the awareness of those on the water to report it,” Souza said.
In addition to the helicopter tour companies that report these situations, Souza said there were a number of tour boat companies such as Na Pali Explorer II, Liko Kaua‘i Cruises and Blue Dolphin Charters who also responded to the sighting along with personnel from the Coast Guard and NOAA Fisheries.
“Ed Lyman is aware of all the hands that are involved whenever a distressed marine mammal is reported,” Souza said. “After the Coast Guard had to leave the whale, tour boat companies, many of whom had to take time out of their normal routines, took over the tracking. One of the last sightings of the day, Tuesday, was off Port Allen and reported by a tour boat operator.
“This is a true community effort,” she said.
Between two to four humpback whales are freed from entangling gear in waters off Hawai‘i each year, the AP reported. About 10,000 humpback whales come to Hawai‘i every winter to breed and calve after spending the summer feeding off Alaska and other northern areas. The whales are an endangered species, though their numbers have rebounded after an international hunting ban was imposed in 1966.
