With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Entangled fin whale spotted near Dana Point
FILE PHOTO: A fin whale swims off the coast of Los Angeles. These whales can get up to 70-feet long and weigh up to 150,000-lb, making it the second largest animal on earth.
(
Mae Ryan/KPCC
)
Marine authorities have dispatched a team to help an entangled adult fin whale found about 2 miles off the coast of Dana Point.
"It's supposedly pretty tied up ... [it] has a line through the mouth," said Jim Milbury, spokesman for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is coordinating with Pacific Marine Mammal Center, which sent the team, along with Sea World and other agencies to investigate the situation. Fishermen spotted the whale Friday morning.
Upon reaching the whale, the entanglement team will assess what can be done to help, which includes deciding what kind of tracking equipment to use, Milbury told KPCC, adding that attaching a tracking buoy to the whale could actually make things worse. There are also other things to consider, he said.
"We know the animal is moving, and we have to make sure it doesn't get too far offshore, because in small boats the sea can get rough, so we have to be concerned with safety as well."
Sponsored message
It's been an unusual year for whale entanglements. Milbury said this year's 42 whale entanglements are about twice as many as NOAA witnessed from the previous year. Most of the tangled whales are the ones that travel closer to shore, like humpbacks and grey whales.
One of the entangled whales was a blue whale that was spotted in early September off Santa Catalina Island. Milbury said the last NOAA heard of that whale was that it traveled into Mexican waters, and they haven't been able to track it since.
"We don't know what happened to it," he said.
Check back for updates to this story.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
