and what you can do to save the whales from abandoned fishing gear
Humpback Whale Found Entangled Here in San Diego
This May 2026, we found a humpback whale entangled less than 10 miles off Mission Bay. I sent up a drone to investigate, and saw that a lobster trap was painfully digging into and around its peduncle and tail. After notifying the Coast Guard and sending the photos to NOAA, Sea World Rescue and the The Large Whale Entanglement Response Network, I wondered why the whale had been entangled, and what I can do to help.
Why do whales become entangled?
Many whales, especially humpback whales (Megaptera novangeliae) will engage in a variety of sensory seeking and grooming behaviors. Chief among these acts is a behavior known as “kelping,” where a whale will roll itself in thick stands of kelp. The pliable kelp acts as a loofah, removing accumulated whale lice and barnacles thatbuild up on the grooves and crevices of the whale’s fins. The kelp itself is abrasive, yet breakable, allowing for an easy and pleasant grooming experience. This ritual is shared among both adult and juvenile whales alike.
Unfortunately, kelp beds can hide fishing gear from even experienced and wary whales looking to clean themselves. Lobster and crab traps are frequently placed around the kelp beds, as they are rich habitats for a variety of marine life. The monofilament and polypropylene lines used with the traps don’t break like kelp, and can get mixed with the kelp as itinerant whales try to groom themselves. With just a few rolls in nearby strands, a whale can become hopelessly entangled.
What damage does entanglement do?
The effects of entanglement on whales is both immediate and chronically debilitating. Modern lines used in standing fishing gear and traps are designed not to break, and often include buoys and floats. The gear can outright prevent them from diving and severely hamper their mobility, making feeding and migration a challenge. The whale we found, pictured above had lines tearing into the flesh of its fins. It had been entangled less than a week.
What can be done to help the whales?
Entanglement has been a known hazard to whales, and there are efforts being done both globally and locally to help. Here in San Diego, the West Coast Large Whale Entanglement Response Team, in concert with both teams based in Sea World and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, operate year round to monitor and mount rescue missions to cut free entangled whales. Despite their best efforts, many whales are unable to be rescued before they go out of range.
As a whale watcher, you have the ability to help with the efforts of whale unentanglement. As an untrained observer, you can report entangled whales’ to the Coast Guard via VHF radio on channel 16, or call 1-877-SOS-WHALE (1-877-767-9425). The information you should provide is as follows:
Location of the whale (GPS coordinates, distance/bearing to a known landmark)
Direction the whale is traveling and its dive intervals
Species or description of the whale (e.g., size, presence of a dorsal fin)
Description of the entanglement (color/type of gear, where it is caught on the whale)
Clear photos or video taken from a safe distance
Conclusion and Cautions
Any attempt to free an entangled whale needs to be conducted by a trained and permitted team, both to prevent further harm to the whale and to any rescuers. Even trained rescuers have been harmed and even killed in the course of rescue. For those dedicated to saving the whales, there is a path and way to train to save them. To find out more, check out the West Coast Large Whale Entanglement Program.
Having a boat and a drone is a start, but we plan to train to provide better and more comprehensive help to entangled and struggling whales in need. We successfully reported the whale pictured in this blog to the San Diego Sea World Rescue team, and this individual was later rescued due in large part to the efforts of the West Coast Large Whale Entanglement Program. Ultimately, no effort to meaningfully improve the plight of our marine wildlife can be done without the coordinated efforts of the dedicated people who love them.