#whale disentangle

An entangled subadult humpback whale was freed of gear by a team of trained responders off Lahaina, Maui on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

Approaching humpback whales when on or in the water within 100 yards or within 1,000 feet by air is illegal.

An adult humpback whale entangled in 450 feet of fishing line was freed on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 in waters off of Māʻalaea on Maui, according to Ed Lyman, Resource Protection Manager and Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A whale calf, believed to be same one rescued from entangled line earlier this month, was observed breaching and active in Maui waters, according to the Pacific Whale Foundation.

The entanglement, which was located just forward of the calf’s pectoral fins, was considered life threatening because of the rapid growth of the animal. So far this year, PWF vessels have confirmed four entanglements in Maui County waters.

The talk, entitled, “A Cut Above: Confessions of a Whale Disentangler,” will explore past adventures and provide an update of the most recent endeavors of the Hawaiian Islands Entanglement Response Network.