Tag: whales

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have issued a fleet advisory for commercial Dungeness crab harvesters through May 31, urging vigilance to avoid setting gear in area where humpback whales are transiting or foraging to further minimize risk of entanglement.  ODFW is anticipating an above average crab harvest in May, based on the high volume of late-season tag purchases. Meanwhile, surveys conducted in Oregon waters from April 13 through April 25 observed scattered humpbacks and other large whales in waters deeper than 270 fathoms, primarily in the southern region from Newport to the Oregon-California border.  However one aggregation of about 30 to 50 humpbacks was observed within 40 fathoms, just outside the Columbia River mouth. Due to ocean dynamics and the rapid movem...

University of British Columbia researchers say a chemical used to produce toilet paper, as well as so-called ‘forever chemicals’ have been found in the carcasses of stranded endangered orca whales offshore of the Canadian province. Study results, released in December 2022 in an online publication of the American Chemical Society, show that chemical pollutants are prevalent in killer whales. A chemical often found in toilet paper was the one of the most prevalent in the samples studied, accounting for 46% of the total pollutants identified. The research was a collaborative effort of the UBC Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, with researchers analyzing tissue samples from six Southern Resident killer ...

NOAA Fisheries, which leads the Alaska Large Whale Entanglement Response Program, held workshops in four Alaska communities this fall on how to best respond to entangled whales. The training sessions in Metlakatla, Auke Bay and Gustavus in Southeast Alaska, and Cordova, on Prince William Sound, taught safety skills needed to approach whales in distress, especially entangled whales. Participating NOAA employees and partner agencies included a team of advanced, authorized responders and trainers who use specialized equipment to safely and legally respond to entangled whales. The program emphasized the importance of assessment and documentation from a safe, legal distance from the on-water communities. The response program includes a team of advanced, authorized responders and tr...