Provincetown rescuers free humpback whale mother of rope, still hopeful for entangled calf

A humpback whale mother is back to tending to her 8-month-old calf after she was freed Saturday from an entanglement that put the pair's wellbeing at risk.

Summering in New England waters, the whale known as Pinball and her offspring were spotted by recreational boaters off Cape Ann early Saturday morning. Members of the marine animal entanglement response team at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown responded after they were alerted via their hotline.

Pinball was struggling with dozens of feet of buoy line from traditional fishing gear through her mouth and showing "clear signs of distress" as she and her calf slowly moved south from where they were first sighted, according to the organization.

Along with the Hurricane II whale watch vessel out of Cape Ann, the U.S. Coast Guard out of Gloucester, and a commercial fishing crew, the mariners kept watch on the whale mother and calf while the rescue team was en route and worked to devise the best approach to helping Pinball.

"She was in a bit of a panic and so she would stop and have some troubles," said Scott Landry, director of the entanglement response program, noting she only traveled a couple of miles from where she was first sighted.

The rescue team spent about five hours on the rescue, using large floats and the drag from their small inflatable boat in an effort to keep Pinball at the surface while they worked.

Since January 2016, there have been an elevated number of humpback whale deaths along the Atlantic coast from Maine through Florida. Some have been attributed to vessel strikes but more research is needed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Pinball's calf wandered away but returned to nurse

During the rescue, Pinball's calf wandered away several times, but returned to nurse. By a little past noon on Saturday the team successfully removed all of the entangling gear.

"In all we removed 150 feet worth of rope," Landry said.

When they were done, he said, Pinball "was in a very big hurry to get back with her kid." The calf is at an age at which young humpbacks start showing some independence, and so "was off somewhere doing something."

"Once she (Pinball) realized she was free, she made a beeline for her calf," Landry said.

The team remained with Pinball until the two were reunited. Humpback calves remain with their mothers for about a year before they are fully independent, and will often continue nursing for most of that time, though they can eat like the adults starting at about six months of age.

Humpback named Pinball is more than 30 years old, and mother of at least 10

Jooke Robbins, a senior scientist and director of the humpback whale studies program at the Center for Coastal Studies, said Pinball is more than 30 years old and has had at least 10 calves.

The Center for Coastal Studies, she said, was "one of the first to document her as a calf here off Massachusetts and we maintain records of her life history through our Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog."

"Humpback whales are typically quite faithful to a particular oceanic feeding ground, and that is true in this case.  Within the Gulf of Maine, though, she (Pinball) has been seen in many places, but is most regular to northern Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge."

Another humpback entanglement story still unfolding: 'We're just going to keep trying and trying and trying.'

While Pinball's rescue ended with success, researchers are worried about another entanglement story unfolding out in the waters north of Cape Cod. A still-nursing humpback calf estimated to be about seven months old has high-tensile, monofilament fishing line wrapped around its left flipper. The young whale, who is believed to be the first offspring of a whale named Lollipop, was first spotted with the entanglement in June.

The fishing line, said Landry, is "cutting into the flipper all the way to the bone."

Without help, the entanglement could result in the flipper being severed or in an infection, which could prove fatal. Humpbacks use their flippers to maneuver while swimming and feeding, and for balance.

There have been around 10 attempts so far to help the as-yet unnamed calf. Landry said the entanglement is a "technically very difficult entanglement to deal with," since the young whale is constantly on the move and the flipper, being under water, is difficult to access. But the rescuers have no plans to give up.

"We're just going to keep trying and trying and trying," he said.

The marine mammal rescue team at the International Fund of Animal Welfare is working with the Provincetown center's team, Landry said, and is going to lead an attempt at sedating the calf so rescuers can get closer to the animal for long enough to remove the line.

The good news is that the calf "is still in pretty good health," at least since it was last sighted as the rescue team was returning from helping Pinball over the weekend, Landry said.

The calf and its mother remain together at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which stretches for about 24 miles between Cape Cod and Cape Ann, spanning up to five miles on the northern side and about 14 miles on the southern side, and encompassing 842 square miles.

Report entangled marine animals to Center for Coastal Studies or Coast Guard

The Center for Coastal Studies urges anyone who sees entangled whales, sea turtles or other marine animals to report their sightings at 1-800-900-3622, or the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF 16, and to stand by the animal at a safe distance until trained responders arrive.

All disentanglement efforts are conducted under a federal permit authorized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on Twitter @HMcCarron_CCT

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Humpback whale mom freed of rope by Provincetown rescuers