For a few years now humpback whales have been seen to regularly come close to the coast in Faxaflói Bay, during the winter. The area they are commonly seen also happens to be where we go for Northern Lights Cruises. Therefore, when we are lucky we spot humpback whales on these tours as well, for example 3 whales were seen on the night of the 18th December. But on the night of the 15th December the sighting of a humpback whale was more unfortunate. When it was seen the crew quickly realised everything was not okay. This individual was entangled in ropes. The crew promptly contacted the coast guard who then by 18:00 the next day had freed the whale. Through photo-identification methods we have later identified this individual as one we had seen towards the end of November in Hafnarfjörður. Thankfully, this story had a positive ending but, this is not always the case and so this blog will focus on what entanglement is and what we can do to help prevent it.
The entangled humpback whale on December 16th. The third picture shows the individual’s fluke in the air with a boat from the coast guard close by, trying to help. Photographs taken By Emily Erskine.
These are the fluke of the same humpback whale. The first picture of a fluke was taken on November 22nd close to Hafnarfjörður. The second picture was taken on December 16th close to Reykjavík once the whale had become entangled. You can also see extra marking on the fluke, likely due to the entanglement. Photographs taken by Rob Hyman and Anna Richter.
Bycatch is when marine animals are caught via fishing nets despite not being the target species. Around 300,000 cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are killed every year through this. Entanglement is a type of bycatch with about 120,000 marine mammals dying annually; it occurs when fishing gear (“ghost nets”) or marine debris are left behind and then wrap around the animal which can then trap it. Approximately, 640,000 tons of fishing gear is left behind every year. This can weigh the caught individual down, impact their movement, increase energy consumption and eventually even drown them. Occasionally, the trapped animal will escape (sometimes via human intervention) but this can still leave the individual with long lasting issues.
Studies focusing on entanglement have shone a light on some worrying findings. Around Iceland, up to 50.1% of humpback whales have been seen with scars from entanglement. When watching a humpback whale sometimes we can then see scars on their bodies due to being trapped in ropes at one stage in their life. Then even once the whale has been freed it can impact their life, for example minke whales feeding behaviour has been noted to change post-entanglement.
These pictures show the results of entanglement. The first picture is from our recently entangled whale in December where the rope appears to have rubbed along the spine of the individual. In the second picture the whale is still trapped but you can see the damage it is causing to the fluke. Photographs taken by Emily Erskine and from The Orange County Register
In the past 2 years we have unfortunately encountered a few other individuals that were entangled. These individuals all had more unfortunate endings though. In January 2022 we came across a humpback whale that had passed away due to a rope being around it. It was close to 4 humpback whales that were feeding close to the Reykjanes peninsula. Later in 2022 a minke whale was seen to also have suffered the same fate.
A deceased humpback whale having been entangled in January 2023 close to Keflavík. Photograph taken by Rob Hyman.
Research is helping to develop methods that will reduce entanglement or even prevent it. One method is in relation to creel fishing. This is when bottom-crawling shellfish are targeted such as crabs or lobsters. In between each creel will be a groundline and these lines usually will float. But, floating lines allow for the possibility of entanglement. If these groundlines sink instead of floating then there is little to no risk of entanglement. Another alternative is ropeless fishing gear. This involves having buoys, for example, attached to the gear. Remote sensors will then trigger the buoy to float to the surface, bringing the gear and any catch with them. This again removes any potential for entanglement in ropes.
These graphics display how lines connected to traps on the seafloor can entangle marine wildlife. Then it shows how if these are ropeless instead there is no risk of entanglement meaning the marine wildlife can swim with increased freedom and less risk. Graphics taken from Centre for Biological Diversity.
On a smaller scale there are also ways we, as individuals, can help to reduce entanglement. To begin with, food choices are always important; if eating seafood, choosing sustainable sources is a very good start. These practices will ensure there is no overfishing and there are fewer cases of disturbances to non-target species through bycatch and entanglement. Another opportunity to help, comes when we are near the coastline or on a boat. Spotting any fishing gear or marine debris and removing it from beaches or the ocean itself will help. Or, if you ever spot an entangled individual reporting it to the authorities so they can help to detangle it as quickly as possible. Beach clean-ups can help remove fishing gear from locations where the tide will pull them in as well as removing other waste such as plastics. In Akureyri, earlier this year, multiple beach clean ups were conducted by our sister company, Akureyri Whale Watching. This sort of organised activity is a fantastic start to help clean our oceans.
In the case of the humpback whale we saw entangled earlier this month it had a happier ending but, unfortunately this is not always the case. Hopefully, together, by raising more awareness and cleaning our oceans we can help protect all marine wildlife.
By Rob Hyman
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