Entangled right whale seen off P.E.I. coast is likely in poor health, says rescue group
Animal's weakened condition could make rescue easier, says Canadian Whale Institute
A young North Atlantic right whale recently spotted entangled off P.E.I.'s North Shore appears to be in poor health, says a group that's waiting for the next sighting so it can attempt a rescue.
Last Monday, officials with Fisheries and Oceans Canada spotted the right whale, identified as whale number 5132, tangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, near Morell.
That triggered lobster fishing restriction off Naufrage, near the northeastern tip of the Island. DFO told CBC News it is continuing its efforts to locate the whale.
Mackie Greene, director of whale rescue for the Canadian Whale Institute, said his team is prepared to respond as soon as the whale is seen again.
"What we're doing now is waiting for the next sighting, and hopefully a first-response team can get out and tag this whale so we can track it and be able to mount a response when it's close enough to shore," Greene told Island Morning from Campobello Island, N.B.
Injuries common in entanglements
DFO estimates there are only 372 North Atlantic right whales remaining in the world's oceans.
This particular whale, a juvenile male born in 2021, was first seen entangled off North Carolina in December 2024.
It was then spotted near Les Escoumins in Quebec's St. Lawrence Estuary on May 27, and most recently off P.E.I.'s coast earlier this month.
Greene said the whale has been carrying the fishing gear through its southward migration in the winter and back north to Canadian waters this summer.
"This is unfortunately a common story with whales being tangled up this long. These new ropes are great, they're strong, but unfortunately they last a long time and that's what contributes to these injuries to the whale," he said.
"This rope is cutting into it after carrying it for so long, so [it] looks to be in poor health…. I'm not a biologist, but just looking at pictures of the colour of the whale and it seems to be pretty skinny."
Many conditions must align for a rescue
Greene said a successful rescue depends on several factors.
The whale must be within about 80 kilometres of the shore, and weather and visibility must be good enough for the team to operate safely.
The team works from rigid-hull inflatable boats that are about nine metres long and have long poles bearing knives to cut through rope from a distance.
"We sort of catch the whale by surprise," Greene said.
From recent photos of whale number 5132, Greene said it appears some of the fishing gear has fallen away, but the whale still has a body wrap cutting in tightly across its back. That, along with rope through its mouth, which is the hardest area to reach, could pose a big challenge.
"The line's embedded down into the flesh, so unfortunately we're going to have to cut the whale a little bit to be able to hook that rope to cut it."
In fresh entanglements, the whale is often highly stressed and difficult to approach. However, that's not the case with whale 5132.
"The poor condition of the animal will make that [rescue] easier, unfortunately," Greene said.
We've come a long way in building a great network on the east coast of Canada for whale rescue.— Mackie Greene, Canadian Whale Institute
These rescues are inherently dangerous, and can be deadly.
Greene said a founding member of his team, Joe Howlett, was killed during a whale rescue in 2017.
"An animal that big trying to get away from you, if you're in the way, it can be really dangerous," he said, noting an adult right whale can weigh more than 60 tonnes and has a tail about five metres wide.
Greene said his group visited a number of wharves on P.E.I. last fall, and it has also been working with the Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association in order to recruit more fishers to help with rescues.
"We're fishermen ourselves, so we understand how deeply this affects everybody," he said.
"If we can recruit a few fishermen to train with first responders to tag a whale or stand by a whale, then that's great…. We're still building it, but we've come a long way in building a great network on the east coast of Canada for whale rescue."
With files from Island Morning