Featured Image Credit: David Anderson/dolphinsafari.com
By Sarah Sharkey
Do you remember hearing about a gray whale that was entangled in a metal frame? Well, that whale is now missing. The whale was last spotting off the coast of California. It is assumed that it was heading north due to the annual migration patterns of this species; so presumably it would be off the coast of Oregon or Washington by now.
Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Jim Rice, said he has never seen a whale stuck in a metal frame before. The ocean is a big place and it will be difficult to spot this whale. Rice says this of the situation “Trying to find a whale that’s, you know, 30 or 40 feet in the vast expanse of the water is quite daunting.”
Finding the whale is a daunting task indeed and it is just the first step to helping this whale. After it is found, Rice said that his team would approach the whale on a small boat. First they would determine how the mammal is being affected and then try to find a way to remove the frame. Rice also said it was possible for the frame to fall off on its own.
If you do happen to see this whale, please call 1-877-767-9425. This is the Whale Standing hotline; these are the wonderful people who could safely help this whale become disentangled.