KZN’s very capable Sharks Board doesn’t just work with sharks, writes Liesl Nel. It also does a sterling job disentangling whales from the nets – and has three highly specialised rescue teams responsible for this massive task.
From late May until early December every year, Humpback and southern right whales migrate to the warm waters of the KwaZulu-Natal coast and southern Mozambique to give birth and to “fatten up” before heading back to the Arctic.
During their visit to our coastline, these majestic mammals of the sea are often seen and admired by many from a safe distance. Just the sheer size of the whales is enough to encourage most people keep a safe distance.
One instance which calls for the breaching of this safe distance is when a whale becomes entangled in a shark net. Each shark net is 214m long, which, although equipped with whale deterring alarms, sometimes does get in the way of whales venturing closes to the shore.
For this very reason, the KZN Sharks Board (KZNSB) has three specialised whale rescue teams responsible for the disentanglement of whales. It is important to note that the KZNSB sits on the executive of the South African Whale Disentanglement Network, (SAWDN) a committee that falls under Marine and Coastal Management Cape Town and is responsible for all whale disentanglement off our country’s coastline. It is illegal for anyone who is not a member of SAWDN to interfere in any way with any whale.
The specialised teams comprise three formally trained members, two of whom are directly involved in the rescue operation and the third there to assist. Their training involves theory, and, more importantly, extensive hands-on exposure to rescues. Members have to gain the necessary skills, under supervision, before they are allowed to participate in often extremely dangerous rescues.
Strict rescue protocols
The team sticks to very strict rescue protocols, which include, among other priorities, safety of the team as well as team members never getting into the water. Inflatable boats, large buoys (which the team attaches to the whale to keep track of the animal if it moves away), nets, grappling hooks and specially designed V-knives that are attached to expandable poles are used during rescues.
According to Mike Anderson-Reade, head of operations of the KZNSB, and a member of one of the teams, one of the first and most important rules in rescuing a whale is to not overreact and panic when receiving the call reporting a possible entanglement.
Says Mike: “We never rush to a whale entanglement scene, as it is important to accurately assess the situation first. The public needs to understand we often have to wait for the entangled whale to either calm down or become tired. The calmer or more tired the whale, the less volatile the situation. The less volatile the situation, the safer it is for the team and the whale and the quicker we can start the disentanglement. As long as the animal is capable of reaching the surface to breathe, its chances of survival for a long period of time are good.”
Mike says one of the trickiest rescues when a very young calf became entangled in a net panel just off Thomson’s Bay on the North Coast. The very distressed calf’s concerned mother as well as the interfering “midwife” had to be kept at bay with hard boats to enable the rescue team to eventually get to work and successfully free the baby.
“It’s dangerous work, “ concedes Mike, “and although we appreciate the fact that it is human nature to want to get involved and rescue an animal in distress, we urge the public to not approach a whale or calf entangled in a net or, for that matter, the team, when it’s involved in a rescue.”
If you think you’ve seen an entangled whale, phone the Sharks Board at 031 566 0400. However, Mike says it’s common for whales to remain on the surface in one place for long periods of time or with their tails sticking out of the water. ”This is not necessarily a sign of any distress or trouble.
Since establishing the whale rescue teams about 10 years ago, the Sharks Board has enjoyed a 100% success rate in disentangling whales.
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Those polyurethane inflatable boats are very sturdy and some are kevlar lined too but they are expensive.