Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Whale freed from fishing gear near Dana Point
An entangled humpback whale was released from most fishing gear on July 30, 2017 after rescuers led by NOAA cut it free.
(
Mark Tyson/DolphinSafari.com
)
Rescuers had to attach flotation devices to a whale in order to keep it close to the surface.
(
Mark Tyson/DolphinSafari.com
)
A humpback whale found entangled in fishing gear was mostly freed Sunday after a group of rescuers tracked it down and cut it free.
Justin Viezbicke, a marine mammal stranding coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told KPCC that the whale still has severe wounds and some gear trailing out of its mouth. A group of rescuers led by NOAA cut the line as short as they could and hope the animal will be able to shake it off over time.
“There’s definitely a guarded prognosis for this one, because with that in its mouth, there is the potential that that could affect its ability to forage, and if that’s the case then this whale’s not going to have a very good time,” Viezbicke said.
The whale was first spotted Saturday near the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where rescuers attached a tracking device. Mid-morning the next day, the team reached the whale and began working to slow it down.
Support for LAist comes from
“It was diving and moving all over and wasn’t really on a steady course. It was kind of erratic turns, and making it really difficult for us to follow the whale,” Viezbicke said. Rescuers attached floats to keep the whale closer to the surface and to slow it down.
When they approached the whale, the team used a “flying knife” attached to a long pole and cut off the fishing gear attached to the whale’s body.
Viezbicke said mouth entanglements pose a challenge because it’s difficult to get whales to open their mouths and release the gear.
“We’ve done pretty much all that we can,” Viezbicke said. There is a deep cut on the whale’s tail that may also still have some line embedded in it. “We’re still trying to determine if there’s more in there, or if it’s just reacting to having all of that gear finally getting off.”
The rescuers removed their tracking device, so they plan to wait and see if the whale is spotted again to determine what has happened to it since Sunday.
Shortly after the rescuers cut the majority of the gear off of the whale, NOAA received reports of a second entangled whale near Dana Point. The whale watching group that spotted it sent photos to NOAA — and Viezbicke said it's the same whale they'd freed earlier that day. NOAA will be reviewing the photos to try to determine whether there is still some line on the whale’s tail.
Viezbicke and experts say entanglement in fishing gear is a major problem for local whale populations — for the last two years, NOAA has seen close to 50 entanglements off of California annually. This year, the group has tracked nearly 25.
Support for LAist comes from
Viezbicke also said that while rescue groups are helpful for aiding entangled whales, they’re treating the symptoms of a problem rather than the cause.
“It really is the Band-Aid. We’re really not the solution,” Viezbicke said. “The solution is working with fishermen and the industry to try to figure out ways to be more preventative in nature.”
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist