No news on entangled whale

Photo / DEC/Seadog Films P/L

The Department of Conservation has not received any more reported sightings of an entangled humpback whale which was last seen in the Bay of Islands last Wednesday.

DOC received reports of the 12 to 15-metre humpback whale with a short piece of rope and a clear plastic buoy entangled near its mouth, just hours before they had managed to free another humpback whale off the Doubtless Bay coast in the Far North.

A rescue operation was planned for the whale, however these plans stalled due to bad weather. The whale has not been re-sighted since.

At this time of the year, humpback whales typically migrate south along the East Coast from their breeding and calving grounds in tropical waters to their feeding grounds in the circumpolar waters of Antarctica.

"It is possible that the entangled humpback whale may be heading south." DOC's Bay of Islands marine mammal ranger, Elke Reufels said. "DOC offices at Whangarei, Warkworth and Auckland have been alerted, and tourism boat operators in the Hauraki Gulf are now also keeping an eye out for the animal."

The department is asking the public to report any humpback whale sightings, especially in the Bay of Islands and southwards along the North Eastern Coast and within the Hauraki Gulf, to 0800 DOC HOT.

"The entanglement may not be obvious if only the animal's back is seen or only the tail fluke is visible. By law, boats must keep at least 50 metres away from whales, to minimise disturbance to the animals and to ensure boat passenger safety. If the animal is re-sighted, and if conditions are favourable, a rescue operation will be attempted," Ms Reufels said.

"In Doubtless Bay last Wednesday, a team of DOC staff, in collaboration with killer whale researcher Ingrid Visser, successfully freed a humpback whale with seine net wrapped around its head and tail. The same team led by Kaikoura-based whale disentanglement expert Mike Morrissey would assist with the latest entangled marine mammal.

"Any interference with a large marine mammal such as a humpback whale weighing up to 30 tonnes requires extreme caution. Therefore it is essential that those involved in the rescue operation are well-trained and have the correct equipment."

- NZPA