Coastal Center team frees entangled humpback whale (5/30/2005)
One of the largest threats to endangered and protected whales in US waters is entanglement in fishing gear. Based on the studies of scars, at least 88% of documented endangered humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and 72% of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) have survived previous entanglements with varying degrees of injury These statistics do not include the unknown number of animals that died as a result of their entanglements. Entanglements can result in fatalities due to resulting stress, infection, restricted mobility, suffocation (drowning) and starvation.
As a result of the severity of this threat, NOAA Fisheries established the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network (ALWDN) in 1997. The ALWDN is a partnership of public and private organizations, including the International Wildlife Coalition, parent group of the Whale Adoption Project. The ALWDN is overseen by the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown, MA and funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service and other public and private sources. The ALWDN is charged with developing techniques for the purpose of freeing whales from entanglements. In many cases, this practice has proven to be effective, with 75% of reported entangled humpback whales successfully disentangled.
A critically endangered North Atalntic Right Whale is disentangled by Dr. Stormy Mayo (CCS).
Since 1985, 57 confirmed large whale entanglement reports have occurred in the Massachusetts Bay area. Endangered humpback whales are the primary species reported entangled, but all species of whales can become entangled and, just this year, there have been reports of entangled critically endangered right whales, endangered humpback and fin whales, and minke whales, a protected species.
In Massachusetts Bay, whale watch vessels are most likely to spot, and report entangled whales. While whale watch boat operators have shown a tremendous willingness to standby these animals, it can sometimes take the disentanglement team two to three hours to get on site. Because whale watch vessels are often restricted by tight schedules and work obligations, they are unlikely to be in a position to standby an animal for several hours until the disentanglement team arrives.
According to the ALWDN, mobile whales have been lost within five minutes if no one is standing by. Within 20 minutes, the search area to relocate the animal will be 4 square miles, in one hour the search area will increase to 36 square miles, and within two hours from the animal's initial location, the team would have a 144 square mile area to search to relocate the animal. As such, the Whale Adoption Project, when part of the International Wildife Coalition, recognised the need for dedicated standby vessels, not constrained by a commercial schedule and developed the SAVE Whales project. With the transfer of the Whale Adoption Project to WDCS this work will continue and be developed in conjunction with the other stakeholders.
SAVE Whales is an acronym for Standby Assist Vessels for Entangled Whales. During this pilot program, we will develop and implement protocols to use commercial assistance vessels (CAV), such as Sea\\Tow, as rapid response standby vessels when entangled whales are reported in Massachusetts or Cape Cod Bays. CAVs are equipped, staffed and insured to provide timely on-the-water assistance to recreational boaters in need of towing or similar vessel services. The CAV season overlaps with commercial whale watch operations, which are responsible for most entanglement reports, and CAVs are on-call 24 hours per day, seven days per week operating out of a variety of Massachusetts ports.
Sea Tow Boston utilizes six specially equipped Fast Response Rescue Towboats, ready to respond to any situation on the water.

Captain Steve Winkler (bottom right), and his crew, receive Level One Rescue Training.
We are working with the Center for Coastal Studies providing CAV operators with information on species identification, entanglement history, disentanglement protocols and procedures, reporting protocols, and whale watching guidelines. Additionally, we have provided on-the-water response training to the CAV operators

While the SAVE Whales project is a three-year pilot program to cover coastal Massachusetts, including the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, CAVs are positioned along the entire east coast. Demonstrating success in employing CAVs for disentanglement efforts could facilitate developing similar standby vessel response programs in additional UScoastal waters, thereby resulting in an increase in national disentanglement response and success rates.
This program would not have been possible without the generous funding from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust as well as the dedication of Steve Winkler (Sea\\Tow Boston) and his staff. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Captain John whale watch boats in Plymouth, MA whose operators have, on many occasions, stood by entangled whales for hours. The Captain John Boats have generously offered their vessels for training during this program. Finally, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Center for Coastal Studies for their help and dedication to the process of disentangling these whales so animals like Reflection and Nile can continue to swim freely.
 
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