© 2024 KLCC

KLCC
136 W 8th Ave
Eugene OR 97401
541-463-6000
klcc@klcc.org

Contact Us

FCC Applications
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Where Is That Whale Stuck In Metal Frame Off West Coast?

Craig DeWitt
/
DolphinSafari.com

A gray whale entangled in a metal frame hasn’t been seen in about a month. It was last spotted off the coast of California and appeared to be heading north, so it could be off Oregon or Washington. Anyone who sees the whale is asked to call the Whale Stranding hotline Phone number: 1-877-767-9425

Jim Rice says he’s never seen a whale stuck in a metal frame before. He’s Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Whales are known to get tangled in fishing line. The presumption is the whale was heading north on its annual migration.  But, Rice says, the ocean is very big.
“Trying to find a whale that’s, you know, 30 or 40 feet in the vast expanse of water is quite daunting." Rice says,  "We don’t have a lot of boats on the water compared to California as well. We just don’t have as many eyes, frankly, on the water here.”
If the whale is found off the Oregon coast, Rice says his team would go out in a small boat and try to determine how the mammal is affected by the frame and if there’s a way to extract it. Rice says it’s possible the frame could come off on its own. If anyone does see the whale they can call 1-877-SOS-WHAL.

Whale Stranding hotline Phone number: 1-877-767-9425

 

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s host for All Things Considered on weekday afternoons. She also is the editor of the KLCC Extra, the daily digital newspaper. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000.
Related Content