46 whales were confirmed entangled in 2018, trending up from the year before

Forty-six whales were found entangled in fishing gear off the West Coast in 2018, says an annual report released Monday, July 1, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While 2018’s total was higher than the 31 counted in 2017 and slightly above the 10-year average,  entanglements remain lower than in 2015 and 2016 when researchers were rocked by record highs.

The entanglement data –  which tracks the type of fishing gear ensnaring the whales and where and what time of year the whales were spotted – is combed through by scientists to pinpoint possible solutions – earlier this year a settlement was reached to close the California Dungeness crab fishing season three months early, hopefully getting lines out of the water before humpbacks, blue whales and leatherback sea turtles migrate through the area.

But the numbers also give greater insight on the health of the ocean, experts say.

The fluctuations seen in the number of entanglements could be explained by several factors – including that there are just more whales out there and that ocean climate changes are leading them to change where they stop to feed. From 2013 to 2016, “warm blob” ocean conditions forced marine mammals to search for food close to the coastline, increasing their risk of becoming entangled in traps.

The bulk of the entangled whales documented in 2018 were found off California waters, though they were seen from Washington to Baja, the new report, finalized on June 29, says. Entangled whales can travel for weeks and months, sometimes even years, before they are spotted.

Most of the whales spotted were alive, but seven were found dead. Response teams either fully or partially disentangled three of the whales, and in at least two other cases the fishing gear came loose on its own, the report said.

As in other years, humpbacks who like to feed on anchovies in the central coast areas  – regions fished for crab and prawn – led the way in the number that got entangled, but gray whales were not far behind.

And NOAA’s totals could be a little low; the agency received reports of another 11 whales swimming with lines attached, but could not confirm the sightings.

The reporting of whales spotted in trouble is getting better, which is also likely nudging up the annual reports’ numbers, officials said. Whale-watching charters, private boaters and citizen scientists have stepped up their vigilance over the last decade.

From 2000 to 2012, an average of eight whales a year were reported entangled on the West Coast. But entanglements “have gone on for decades,” said Peter Folkens, who is one of three in California who leads rescues for NOAA’s West Coast Large Whale Entanglement Response Network.

“It’s a greater awareness that’s influencing the higher numbers we’re discovering,” he said. “Over the years, it was mostly accidental discoveries. As people become better informed about the importance of reporting, the number of reports goes up.”

And more recreational and commercial boating off California’s coast might be why the numbers of sightings are higher here than other states.

“Monterey, Santa Barbara and Southern California have a vibrant whale-watching industry,” Folkens said. “There is very little whale watching going on along the north coast of California, Oregon and Washington’s outer west coast.”

A pivotal settlement agreement in March closed Dungeness crab fishing along the California coast for the season on April 15. The agreement was the result of a nearly two-year litigation effort by the Phoenix-based Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental nonprofit that sued the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2017.

The question is will it make enough of an impact to help with the rising entanglement trend.

“Certainly for humpbacks,” Folkiens said. “But the ocean conditions have also put the bulk of the humpbacks farther offshore and (they) are not as inclined to become involved with near-coastal, shallow-water Dungeness Crab gear – to the extent, it is out there.”

But one step forward, another step back.

“Something has been going on with the gray whale population,” Folkiens said.

A larger number of them don’t seem to be getting enough nutrition, he said, so they are weaker and “prone to entanglement.”

Chris Pica, a captain at Dana Wharf Whale Watching, has been on the water for 30 years and has seen his share of struggling whales.

“When you see an animal as majestic as a whale entangled, it’s very disturbing,” the San Clemente captain said. In 2010, Pica was trained by NOAA and has since helped with getting some whales untangled. “There’s a lot more information out there now, even among private boaters. Everyone is motivated to help.”