Humpback whale spotted swimming without a tail off Washington. What happened to it?
A humpback whale was spotted swimming with a severed tail off Washington.
These sightings are now serving as reminders of the dangers of marine mammal entanglements and “human carelessness,” the Whale Museum’s research director Jessica Farrer told McClatchy News by email Aug. 3.
The whale was documented on July 10 in the Salish Sea near the Campbell River in British Columbia, San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network said in a Facebook post.
It was then spotted July 23 south of Lopez Island, which is part of the San Juan Islands.
“Upon first sighting, it appeared normal — but when the whale arched its back for a dive, this individual’s injury was immediately apparent,” the post said.
A photo shows the humpback whale with its fluke, also called a tail, completely gone.
The nonprofit said it was likely severed from a long-term entanglement of some kind of fishing gear.
And it’s not good for the whale’s health.
Each humpback whale tail holds a special and unique pattern that can help researchers identify the marine mammal, the post said. But more importantly, whales use their tails to migrate, feed and move.
Farrer said it’s unlikely this whale will live much longer.
“It’s already impressive it has survived this long and swam as far as it has,” she said in an email.
Researchers haven’t been able to identify the emaciated whale, so they haven’t been able to determine how long it was entangled, the Marine Education & Research Society shared on Facebook.
But they have nicknamed it Catalyst to help educate others about the dangers of long-term entanglements.
“Our coastline is so vast, and the problem of entanglement (is) so significant, that the biggest challenge is to find entangled whales so that they can be disentangled,” the group said.
What to do if you see an entangled marine mammal
Anyone who sees an entangled whale or marine mammal can report it to the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network by calling 1-877-767-9425.
A stranded marine mammal can be reported to 1-866-767-6114.
“This is a very sobering example of how human carelessness is impacting the natural world,” Farrer said.
She said people should make responsible decisions about the seafood they are buying or harvesting locally.
“Washingtonians need to make an effort to become educated on responsible crab and prawn pot usage so that this may be prevented at a recreational level,” she said.
This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 2:56 PM.
