#whale entangled

Sanctuary staff will provide presentations about recent scientific findings and the upcoming 2022-2023 whale season.

An entangled yearling humpback whale was freed of gear by a NOAA-led team of trained responders off Ukumehame, Maui on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2022.

The Hawai‘i Wildlife Discovery Center has more than 30 exhibits about Hawaiʻi’s undersea life, whaling era, cultural values, and conservation work with contributions from several partners, including the nonprofit Will Smith Foundation that sponsored the Immersive Experience, one of the highlights of the Discovery Center. The six-minute video is screened on three walls with only the sounds from ocean animals and waves rushing to shore.

While some whales have already arrived, the majority will be in Hawai‘i between January and March. Iconic humpback whales in Hawai‘i are protected by state and federal agencies. Approaching humpback whales when on or in the water within 100 yards or within 1,000 feet by air (including drones) can impact the animals and is illegal.

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

A new initiative provides aerial support using small drones for large whale entanglement response efforts off Maui.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary reports that the close of the 2015 whale season marks 13 years of whale rescue operations by the Hawaiian Islands Disentanglement Network. Since its inception in 2002, the network has freed 22 large whales from life threatening entanglements, and removed more than 9,500 feet of large gauge line from the entangled whales.

The Coast Guard received reports that an adult male humpback was entangled in fishing net from its head to tail, and was dragging two orange buoys.