Efforts underway to help entangled humpback whale in Unalaska

UNALASKA, Alaska (KTUU) - An entangled whale has commanded the attention of a small community in the Aleutian Islands, and set in motion a response effort from multiple agencies.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was first alerted to a distressed humpback whale in Unalaska’s Iliuliuk Bay on Monday, with no information on what exactly entangled the whale.

The Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network said Wednesday that it is currently working on disentanglement efforts. Two NOAA whale entanglement experts are scheduled to touch down in Unalaska on Thursday, according to NOAA spokesperson Julie Fair.

“The entanglement goes through the mouth and then back around the tail, so this whale is essentially hogtied,” Fair said, who added the whale could have been simply curious or playful before becoming entangled.

Using a GoPro camera on a long pole, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game gathered underwater footage of the whale on Tuesday to help the response team come up with an action plan.

The NOAA entanglement experts are trained in operating specialized disentanglement equipment, but until their arrival on Thursday, other officials and volunteers will remain on the job.

“This entangled humpback appears to be in really good condition,” Fair said. “It’s able to breathe regularly, but it’s likely very stressed, and when entangled whales, especially when they’re very stressed, they can be very unpredictable and dangerous, so we are asking the public to please stay at least 100 yards away from the whale.”

Located close to shore, the whale isn’t hard to find — but watching it can be “heart-wrenching,” according to Fair.

“It’s hard to watch the whale sort of thrash around when it does,” Fair said. “But we are hoping that we’ll be successful in our disentanglement efforts.”

The frequency of such incidents can depend on several factors, including the fishing season and whale population, but NOAA said it typically sees multiple entanglements every open-water season.

Contact Alaska’s Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at (877) 925-7773 to provide information on the current entaglement or to report a different marine mammal in distress.

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