A humpback whale in Washington state is missing its tail. One expert calls the sight ‘heartbreaking’
A humpback whale missing its tail has been spotted in Washington state’s inland waters, a sight that experts describe as heartbreaking. The whale likely lost its flukes after becoming entangled in some form of line or fishing gear, which are crucial for propulsion, posing a grave threat to its survival. The whale was last seen in late July.
Jessica Farrer, research director at The Whale Museum on Washington’s San Juan Island, responded to the sighting of the whale on July 23 near a nearby island. The institute aids in responding to reports of stranded or distressed marine mammals and educates boaters on best practices for whale watching. Farrer, who had previously seen injured humpbacks, found this particular sighting deeply distressing.
The whale was observed in the Salish Sea, a complex network of inland waters between Washington state and British Columbia. Since the initial sighting, there have been no further reports of the whale.
“Everybody has an emotion when they witness a humpback whale dive, and you see those massive flukes that are over 15 feet (4.6 meters) across, and here’s this whale, it’s just lost that. It’s like us losing our legs,” Farrer said.
Experts who reviewed photos and videos of the whale concluded that it likely lost its flukes due to entanglement, although the exact cause remains unknown. Humpbacks face numerous hazards, including entanglement in fishing gear like mooring lines, pots, and nets, collisions with ships or boats, and the impacts of climate change on their food supply, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Evidence suggests that most humpback whales experience entanglement at some point, though many can free themselves. The number of whales that die due to entanglement is unclear. NOAA Fisheries reported 16 confirmed humpback entanglements off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California last year. In 2016, the number of confirmed entanglements exceeded 40, attributed to a late Dungeness crab fishing season in California, which likely increased the amount of fishing gear in whale habitats.
Justin Viezbicke, a whale entanglement responder and NOAA Fisheries’ stranding coordinator in California, noted that sightings of whales without flukes occur periodically along the West Coast, although these cases are likely underreported. Recently, responders off southern California freed a humpback entangled in gear that was cutting into its flukes. Earlier this year, responders also freed a humpback entangled in fishing gear near the port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where the whale was effectively immobilized by the line.
John Calambokidis, a research biologist with Cascadia Research Collective, stated that it is unlikely a humpback whale would survive long without its flukes. He emphasized that the tragedy of entanglements lies not only in the death of these animals but in the suffering they endure, often dying slowly.
Calambokidis noted that the actual number of entanglements is probably much higher than confirmed cases. In recent years, efforts have increased to reduce entanglements, such as California’s changes in managing its commercial Dungeness crab fisheries to protect whales.
Despite these challenges, humpback populations on the U.S. West Coast are increasing and overall doing well. This contrasts with the situation on the East Coast, where entanglements significantly impact the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, according to NOAA Fisheries.
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