2006 in Review

Summary:
The Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network received 100 reports of marine animals in distress with forty-nine sightings verified as whales either currently entangled or still on our monitor list from previous entanglements. Thirty-one live whale entanglement cases were observed: fourteen humpbacks, eight minkes, seven rights, one finback, and one unidentified baleen whale. Twenty-seven of these were newly discovered entanglement cases and four right whale cases were ongoing from previous years. Additionally, two dead humpback whales were discovered with gear entangling them, and a third dead humpback was found with wounds that appeared to be from an entanglement. The remaining sightings represent multiple sightings of individual whales. Six humpback and four minke whales were completely disentangled and one minke whale had some entangling gear removed. Two additional animals, a right whale and a minke whale, reported to be caught in fishing weirs were released and set free.

The events on July 16 where two humpback whales were disentangled on the same day demonstrate the collaborative nature and the extensive reach of the Network. In both of these entanglement cases, one off the coast of Maine an the other off the coast of Massachusetts, personnel aboard whale watch vessels played a critical role by reporting the entanglements. In addition to several whale watch vessels involved in these events, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Maine Marine Patrol, and the NOAA ship Nancy Foster also were integral players in the collaborative efforts to successfully disentangle these two animals.

Young humpback whale disentangled in Massachusetts Bay in August 2006, (see story here). PCCS image: Disentanglement activities conducted under NOAA Fisheries permit 932-1489

News Briefs:
New Director: Gregory Krutzikowsky was hired as Director of the Large Whale Disentanglement Program at PCCS. Krutzikowsky holds a Masters degree in Oceanography and has worked with a variety of cetacean species in the North and South Pacific, the Sea of Cortes, and the Beaufort Sea. He is also familiar with satellite telemetry techniques having tracked bowhead whales in the Arctic. Additionally, he has been a licensed captain for 20 years and has worked with fishermen aboard their boats sampling at sea. Greg moved from Oregon to start in mid-April and participated in a number of disentanglement operations soon after his arrival on Cape Cod.

Training and Outreach: Training of established and new network members continued in 2006. Training sessions were held throughout the year, targeting fishermen, aerial observers, whale watch naturalists and stranding personnel. Many of these trainings were held during the annual Southeast equipment upgrade and training tour conducted in the fall. Sixty-three new members were added to the Network during the trip. In addition to sessions in Bruswick,GA, Fernandina Beach, FL and Virginia Beach, VA, training sessions in Melbourne and Ft. Pierce, FL were added this year following up on recommendations from Network members. This outreach training effort helped expand the Network southward to fully encompass the critical birthing and nursery habitat area for right whales. Additionally, Network members from Georgia and North Carolina participated in a more advanced apprenticeship training program in late summer.

International: PCCS was sought out by two international groups to provide information and share knowlege. First, a member of the PCCS disentanglement team was invited to Cape Town, South Africa share information and participate in a forum with fshing industry and marine and coastal management personnel. A group from the British Divers and Marine Life Rescue group came to Provincetown for disentanglement training.

Our continuing mission
We don’t just rescue whales. Along with providing emergency response to individual whales with life threatening entanglements, the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network continues to play a vital role in efforts to monitor and document large whale bycatch, leading to preventative solutions. Our work has never been more important. Our efforts continue to strengthen our mission to conserve populations of cetaceans off the Eastern Seaboard.

We gratefully thank all network members for their outstanding work in 2006, and NOAA Fisheries for their continued support.

To read more about disentanglement efforts in 2006, choose links from the "Previous Disentanglement" page.