Overview
- Vancouver Island Whale Watch first spotted the entangled whale on Sept. 21 in the Strait of Georgia and stayed with the animal after reporting the sighting to federal responders.
- DFO officers attached a satellite tag to the trailing gear to monitor movements before mounting a full disentanglement effort.
- A multi-agency team from DFO and the Department of National Defence conducted a six- to seven-hour operation in Nanoose Bay, with a DND helicopter tracking the whale from the air.
- Crews removed roughly 137 metres of rope and fishing gear, and a later sighting confirmed Fader was swimming normally and free of equipment.
- Responders say entanglements have surged to nearly two per week in recent weeks, and officials urge the public to report distressed marine mammals and lost fishing gear and to cut looped materials before disposal.