Disentangling Whales: Responding to Distressed Whales along the Central Coast

Join Pieter Folkens, lead California Whale Entanglement Team (WET) responder under the auspices of NOAA Fisheries/Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, for a discussion of whale entanglements along the Central Coast of California.

His talk will chronicle a recent incident –– after weeks of tracking an entangled whale and being thwarted by rough seas, Folken's WET team was able to free the distressed whale. Folkens said a poet wouldn't be able to describe the rush of emotions he felt when the final bits of line were snipped. "It's a combination of feelings of success and accomplishment and being a part of something that makes a difference."

Entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris has become one of the greatest threats posed to whales worldwide. Using properly trained and equipped personnel, WET teams work with scientists to help reduce this threat for the future.