HANAPEPE — Ed Lyman, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s large whale entanglement response coordinator, will give a lecture on large whale entanglement response Monday at the Hanapepe Public Library. Lyman has been disentangling large whales for over
HANAPEPE — Ed Lyman, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s large whale entanglement response coordinator, will give a lecture on large whale entanglement response Monday at the Hanapepe Public Library.
Lyman has been disentangling large whales for over 22 years and presently coordinates and assists in community-based efforts, here in Hawaii and other places like Alaska, to free humpbacks and other large whales from entangling gear.
The effort attempts to answer questions like: Why do whales become entangled? Where are they getting in the gear? What type and what part of the gear? When does it occur? Are certain individuals at greater risk?
Since 2002, more than 100 different humpback whales have been confirmed entangled off Hawaii; however, the number is certainly much greater since many entanglements go unreported. Some studies indicate that around 50 percent of the humpback whales in some areas of the North Pacific have been recently entangled.
The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Hanapepe Public Library meeting room.