Tech to the Rescue
Central California’s Whale Entanglement Team is taking microROVs into the field to solve some very big issues.
Zipping up the Mustang Survival suit, it feels like the beginning of something very real. We’re going to save whales.
The Issue —
Hundreds of crab pots and fishing nets are woven deep into whale feeding grounds across California. In an environment known for being clear, blue, and obstacle free, human fishing habits are wreaking havoc on the lives of oceanic whales.
Nets and lines, like 140 lb. lassos, tug on the flukes and fins of our planet’s largest inhabitants. Steel-core rope eats into the skin of the whales over the weeks or months they may have been entangled.
Over half of reported entangled whales are in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary where a group of volunteer whale saviors jumps into action. Helmets and all.
As I stepped into Peggy’s house early evening on the night before we plan to take the boat out, the first thing I ran into, quite literally, were half a dozen florescent orange and yellow survival suits right in the doorway!
“That’s the only place in the house tall enough to hang all the suits to dry,” Peggy says off hand,
…as if everyone has a ready supply of arctic survival suits in their homes.
At first, zipping up the suit feels wonderful. Thick layers of insulation and waterproof fabric cut the wind away from my body, but then I begin to sweat.
Status—
As part of a larger organization with many chapters across both US Coasts, the Whale Entanglement Team of Central California has worked to free nearly 100 whales since it was founded by Peggy West-Stap and Mary Whitney. Through the enthusiastic recommendation of the public via social media they were donated a van by Toyota. The van enables them to carry all of the specialized equipment needed to disentangle whales. More recently, in August of 2015, they raised money to put a downpayment on a vessel large enough to store and transport their entire assembly of gear to aid whales trapped in common feeding grounds.
In today’s case cod was on the menu for the lone juvenile and 4 adult humpback whales in the area. I asked peggy how she knew,
“well the fish are in a hole around 200 feet down, they school down there, pop up every once in awhile, and the whales dive in and snatch them.”
For a hundred meters in every direction, there were the small buoys indicating long lines leading down to crab traps wedged into the sandy bottom. Whales circle and weave through them to stay close to their stationary breakfast.
The Team—
The Whale Entanglement Team is made up entirely of volunteers. Mobilization can take anywhere between 3 hours and 2 days. It all depends on the state of the whale, how much debris is visible to track it, and how quickly the volunteers can drive to the nearest boat launch, often several hours away from their homes.
Tech to the Rescue! —
Hundreds of dolphins pass in every direction, and half a dozen humpback whales breech and tail slap. We deploy our small underwater robot to see the action up close.
With the speed and playful grace of every dolphin you’ve ever known, we pilot our small Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). We are testing its operation in moderate ocean currents and attempting to follow these charismatic cetaceans to catch them on camera.
You are the solution!
As much as we love whales, the network of volunteers trained to disentangle whales is astonishingly slim. When a call comes in, a phone tree beginning with WET Co-founders Peggy West-Stapp and Mary Whitney works its way through central California’s corp of volunteers. These individuals have been trained for one of several jobs when it comes to disentangling these wild creatures. Now is your chance to join them.
“The best thing you can do is report promptly.” Peggy mentions when I ask her how we can help.
Ready to help? Join the Team!!! Or Help the Whale Entanglement Team with their purchase of an appropriate boat! Your donation will be matched, dollar for dollar right here, right now:
