Members of DFO香蕉视频直播檚 Marine Mammal Rescue are chalking up an incident this week as a win even though they didn香蕉视频直播檛 quite make it to the scene.
Paul Cottrell, fisheries biologist and coordinator for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans香蕉视频直播� Marine Mammal Rescue, and his team members responded Sunday at about 5 p.m. after they received a call to help free a juvenile killer whale entangled in the line of a prawn trap just off Rocky Point in north Nanaimo.
The young whale dragged the line and trap for about 600 metres and was struggling to free itself.
Boaters nearby called the DFO whale rescue unit and stayed back and observed until help arrived.
香蕉视频直播淲hat happened initially was the big killer whales were foraging and consuming and tenderizing a harbour seal right where the buoy [for the trap line] is and near the end of the kill, unfortunately one of the juvenile killer whales got caught up in the rope there,香蕉视频直播� Cottrell said.
The orca managed to get itself untangled shortly after the DFO team left the dock to respond.
香蕉视频直播淭hey don香蕉视频直播檛 always get out themselves,香蕉视频直播� Cottrell said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been involved in quite a few rescues over the years 香蕉视频直播� where animals were stuck.香蕉视频直播�
Cottrell said no two entanglements are alike. Depending on the whale香蕉视频直播檚 struggles, trap lines can wrap around their tails multiple times or become caught up in the animal香蕉视频直播檚 mouth, pectoral fins and tail so the whale becomes effectively hog-tied and unable to move. If a whale can香蕉视频直播檛 get to the water香蕉视频直播檚 surface it can drown.
Some animals get tangled up more often than others.
香蕉视频直播淚 think they香蕉视频直播檙e very aware of their surroundings, killer whales, but I think it香蕉视频直播檚 often curiosity too,香蕉视频直播� Cottrell said. 香蕉视频直播淭here are a couple of animals that are renowned for interacting with ropes and floats and lines 香蕉视频直播� One of the animals we rescued a number of [times] was an animal that has a bad habit of doing that and 香蕉视频直播� every year, this one particular animal we get three or four calls 香蕉视频直播� he香蕉视频直播檚 quite a character.香蕉视频直播�
Because of their smaller size, orcas don香蕉视频直播檛 have the stamina of whales with greater body mass that can actually drag fishing gear for very long distances, sometimes for months, so it香蕉视频直播檚 important that help comes quickly.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e basically a kind of SWAT team, ready to respond at any time,香蕉视频直播� Cottrell said. 香蕉视频直播淚 have kit with me all the time because it香蕉视频直播檚 a priority in my job to be able to respond to entangle animals, so it香蕉视频直播檚 kind of cool and I love it.香蕉视频直播�
READ ALSO:
Research is being conducted in Canada and the U.S. to design rope-less fishing gear or release mechanisms to prevent entanglement, but there are ways to help avoid it which include using tether lines that sink to the ocean bottom or lines that limit slack for a whale to wrap itself up in.
香蕉视频直播淚f you have too much loose line an animal can easily get wrapped around there and they香蕉视频直播檒l interact with the line, maybe deep where they don香蕉视频直播檛 see it and if they panic and roll, they get it around their tail stock and they香蕉视频直播檙e screwed,香蕉视频直播� Cottrell said.
He said the people who called his team for help did the right thing by staying back from the whales and observing until help arrived.
香蕉视频直播淵ou really have to be careful when you come on scene to really assess before you start cutting, because if you make the wrong cut you can actually make things worse for the animal,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Anyone who spots a whale stranded on the shore, entangled in fishing gear or otherwise in distress is asked to report the incident immediately to the 24-hour DFO marine mammal incident hotline at 1-800-465-4336.
photos@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on
