The Wildlife Trust/Georgia aerial survey team found an entangled whale today off the Georgia coast. The team was able to stay with the whale until the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) research vessel Hurricane arrived on scene. The Georgia DNR vessel was able to attach a telemetry buoy and remove some of the fishing line trailing back from the whale.Photographs taken by the Wildlife Trust team were sent to specialist to review severity of the entanglement. Experts at the New England Aquarium believe the whale to be the 2003 calf of Eg#1711. (You can search for more information on this individual on the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog.)
With winds blowing between 15-20 knots, the next few days do not look good enough to launch a disentanglement effort. We are hoping a window will open up and the telemetry buoy will stay attached to the whale long enough to relocate and launch a full scale disentanglement effort.
Photo Caption: The 2003 calf of Eg #1711 seen before it was entangled by the New England Aquarium. Photo taken February 2008 by Gabriella Munoz.
-Jonathan
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