Whale stranding experts are again tracking a whale caught in an anchor line and buoy in Southeast.
The 40-foot long adult humpback was spotted near Thomas Bay east of Petersburg Sunday afternoon by the motor vessel Catalyst, a boat that offers cruises in Southeast.
Three members of the statewide marine mammal stranding network from Petersburg responded Sunday evening. Don Holmes, Sunny Rice and Scott Roberge found the Catalyst and the entangled whale near Farragut Bay. With an inflatable skiff and driver from the Catalyst the team was able to attach another telemetry buoy to the whale.
(Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries)
This June 1st photo is courtesy of NOAA Fisheries
Holmes, president of the Petersburg Marine Mammal Center, says the whale looked very healthy and was swimming quickly, about 4-5 miles an hour. He says the humpback was trailing one buoy and was not entangled with another whale as experts had feared last week.
As of Monday morning, June 13, that whale was recorded near Seymour Canal on Admiralty Island, closer to Juneau. That’s where the creature was first sighted dragging line, an anchor an two buoys on June 1st. Several attempts have been made to remove the gear and the whale already ditched one tracking buoy near Kake last week. A marine mammal stranding network team from Juneau may try again, weather and location permitting.
