Whale Disentanglement in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
February 2021
Whales can be entangled for years until someone reports the entanglement to the right responders. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary coordinates the community-based Hawaiian Islands Large Whale Entanglement Response Network. The network is part of the larger Pacific Islands Marine Mammal Response Network headed by NOAA Fisheries Service’ Pacific Islands Regional Office. The entire effort, plus associated monitoring, is overseen and authorized by NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.
Whale rescue is complex and dangerous for the whale rescuers as well as the animal. Do not try to disentangle a whale yourself. Response to entangled whales may only be attempted by persons who are experienced, trained, knowledgeable, have proper support and equipment, and are authorized under NOAA Fisheries’ MMHSRP permit.
Transcript
[Screen fades from black to a video of a whale entangled with rope, and a blue banner with text appears in the bottom left hand corner. Quiet instrumental music plays in the background]
Entanglement is a global problem that affects many marine mammals and can be fatal.
[The camera pans over the whale, showing yellow rope wrapped around it. The whale calls out, vocalizing its distress]
Large whales can typically pull gear around the ocean for months at a time and thousands of miles.
[A baby whale and its mom swim next to each other underwater]
Entangled whales can starve or drown due to restricted movement, physical trauma, and infections.
[A group of people on a small speedboat is navigate sanctuary waters]
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary coordinates a community-based large whale entanglement response network in Hawaiian waters.
[A crew of rescuers on an inflatable boat put on helmets]
Responders use inflatable boats to approach the entangled whale closely. They never get in the water to free an animal.
[The inflatable boat approaches an entangled whale, pulling on an attached cord to slow it down]
They then use a boat-based technique called “kegging” to slow the animal down so they can attempt to cut it free.
[Another rescuer throws a grappling hook, tied to a rope with buoys, towards a whale and then reels the rope in]
Rescuers throw grapples or use hooks on the end of poles to attach to the gear entangling the animal.
[The group of rescuers on an inflatable boat approach a whale with a hook attached to a long pole]
Hooked knives, designed to cut the entangling gear but not the whale, are attached to long carbon-fiber poles.
[The pole is directed towards the whale, and the knife cuts through the material entangling it. The camera cuts to different shots of rescuers disentangling whales]
Cameras and heads-up displays help rescuers use these specially designed tools to cut off and collect the debris obstructing the whale.
[An entangled whale attempts to fluke and swim away during the disentanglement process]
Whale rescue is complex and dangerous for the whale rescuers as well as the animal – never attempt to disentangle a whale yourself.
[One of the entangled whales shown pulls along a rescue boat as it attempts to swim away]
Only people who are trained, have the proper equipment, and are authorized under a NOAA Fisheries permit should attempt a disentanglement.
[An underwater shot shows rope sliding off of an entangled whale. Rescuers aboard the inflated boat pump their fists in the air, while the freed whale breaches in the background]
Since 2002, the Hawaiian Islands Large Whale Entanglement Response Network has removed gear from more than 30 humpback whales.
[Footage aboard the rescue boat shows the piping material the crew removed from the whale]
They have collected more than 12,000 feet of measurable gear.
[An aerial shot of a baby whale swimming with its mother is shown, then the camera cuts to underwater footage]
The goal, ultimately, is to understand the threat of entanglement better and increase awareness to ensure fewer whales become entangled in the future.
[The free whale dives underwater as the screen fades to black. The National Marine Sanctuaries: Humpback Whale logo is shown, and text reads:
“Mission: to protect humpback whales and their habitat through research, education, and resource protection.”]
To report an entangled whale in Hawai‘i, call the NOAA Marine Mammal Hotline, 1-888-256-9840. Find your local stranding network at www.fisheries.noaa.gov/report.
The response efforts shown were conducted under the authority of NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program and under NOAA permits (#s, 932-1489, 932-1905, 15240, 187864) and FAA Part 107
[A final black screen appears with the Earth is Blue logo at the top, followed by the website sanctuaries.noaa.gov/EarthIsBlue. The logos for NOAA and the National Marine Sanctuaries are pictured below, followed by credits:
Footage: NOAA
Editor: Shannon Shikles
Music: Universal Production Music]
TEXT ON BLACK
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary logo Mission: to protect humpback whales and their habitat through research, education, and resource protection.
To report an entangled whale in Hawai‘i, call the NOAA Marine Mammal Hotline, 1-888-256-9840. Find your local stranding network at www.fisheries.noaa.gov/report.
The response efforts shown were conducted under the authority of NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program and under NOAA permits (#s, 932-1489, 932-1905, 15240, 187864) and FAA Part 107