Expert says humpback whale losing its tail is ‘like us losing our legs’
This aerial photo provided by The Whale Museum taken near an island off the coast of Washington state, on July 23, 2024, shows a humpback whale that is missing its tail. Experts believe the whale lost its flukes after becoming entangled.A humpback whale that is missing its tail and was spotted in Washington state’s inland waters likely lost its iconic flukes after becoming entangled, possibly in some kind of line or fishing gear, experts say.
Experts with whom photos and video of the whale were shared have concluded it likely lost its flukes due to entanglement, she said. But it’s not known exactly what it became entangled in. There were 16 confirmed humpback entanglements off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California last year, statistics from NOAA Fisheries show. In 2016, the number of confirmed humpback entanglements topped 40, a year when a late Dungeness crab fishing season in California likely meant there was more fishing gear in areas where whales congregate, the agency has said.
California Entanglement Humpback Noaa Farrer Entanglements Gear San Juan Island U.S. West Coast NOAA Fisheries
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