fp Turks and Caicos

A large, stranded humpback whale was recently rescued by the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, local fishermen and divers last month near Grand Turk, the Ministry of Environment and District Administration says.

Over Easter weekend, the whale was trapped among the reefs next to Long Cay southeast of Grand Turk and was believed to be traveling with her calf and another pod member when she lost her way through a cut in the reef and was unable to get out.

This humpback whale is a species of the baleen whale which can grow to a length of 39-52 feet and weigh up to 79,000 pounds.

Humpbacks are known to migrate every year through the Turks Islands Passage between February and April on their way back to polar waters after giving birth in warmer waters.

DECR was first contacted about the stranded whale on Good Friday, April 22, when local fishermen indicated that the whale may have been trapped for up to three weeks.

Through its conservation work, the DECR is aware that the global whale population numbers are still extremely low due to intense hunting during the 1960s, and is committed to making every effort to rescue and release the stranded whale.

DECR contacted the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), a global charity organization dedicated to the conservation and welfare of whales and dolphins, to provide experienced guidance and advice on releasing the mammal back to its intended course.

The rescue team, made up of members from the DECR, Oasis Divers and local seaman, worked well into the night by banging solid wood and plastic objects on the hulls of their boats to generate loud echo’s under water to guide the whale through the cut and back to the open ocean. When the team arrived the following morning, they were relieved to see that the whale had indeed found its way out.

DECR thanked Sue Rocca of WDCS, Oasis Divers and the local fishing community for their assistance in freeing this whale and encourages members of the public to continue to report any incidents or situations relating to the welfare and preservation of both the marine and coastal environment.

Whale Facts

• Male humpbacks produce a complex song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time. The purpose of the song is not yet clear, although it appears to have a role in mating.
• Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 16,000 miles each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. The species’ diet consists mostly of krill and small fish.
• Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the whaling industry. Due to over-hunting, its population fell by an estimated 90 percent before a whaling moratorium was introduced in 1966. Their population has only partially recovered to approximately 80,000 worldwide, but they are still being hunted in parts of the world.
• Humpbacks are well sought after by whale-watchers around the planet, particularly off parts of Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, U.S. and even the Turks and Caicos Islands.