A recent successful disentanglement of a humpback whale in Monterey Bay highlights the vital importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, proper gear marking, and coordinated response efforts on the water.
In July, a response team led by Marine Life Studies’ Whale Entanglement Team successfully removed entangling gear from a humpback whale nicknamed “The Duchess of Anchovy”. The effort was made possible through early detection and continuous reporting by local whale-watching vessels, combined with aerial drone surveillance and specialized disentanglement techniques by authorized responders.
Key Industry Takeaways & Details:
- Gear Identification: The retrieved gear carried tags from the 2025-2026 California Dungeness crab season, as well as distinct purple-and-black line markings. These gear-marking protocols – encouraged by NOAA Fisheries and mandated by the state – were essential in enabling agencies to trace the origin of the gear.
- Ongoing Investigation & Learning: NOAA Fisheries and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are following up with the gear owner to determine where and when the trap was originally deployed. Gathering this data is crucial for understanding the specific environmental and operational factors contributing to gear interactions.
- Coordination & Safety: NOAA Fisheries emphasizes that entanglement responses require strict adherence to authorized safety protocols. The successful removal involved multiple partners, including Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, The Marine Mammal Center, CDFW, and local operators working together safely off the coast.
Following the disentanglement, the humpback was spotted feeding actively alongside other whales near Moss Landing, with local observers continuing to monitor its recovery.
For more details on the operation and gear recovery process, you can read the full report on the NOAA Fisheries website.