FROM THE EDITOR 



Whale Watch 



OK 



here's a test. What do you do if you are 

 on a boat and spot a whale tangled in fishing gear? 



The proper response is to radio a report to the 

 Coast Guard immediately, then simply stand by until 

 trained help arrives. 



In fact, taking matters into your own hands could 

 make things worse. That was the case in July for an 

 endangered right whale — known as RW 1427 and 

 nicknamed "Polaris." 



A male whale about 50 feet long and 1 8 years 

 old, Polaris was spotted off the New Jersey coast with 

 fishing gear trailing behind. With a total population 

 estimated at only 300, right whales are individually 

 identifiable by marine mammal experts. 



At the first report of entanglement, the East Coast 

 whale network kicked into action under the leadership 

 of the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Massachusetts, the U.S. Coast 

 Guard and the National Marine Fisheries Service. 



Experts from CCS were able to trim part of the gear and attach a 

 telemetry buoy to the remaining gear. The buoy allowed CCS to track the 

 whale while a more detailed rescue plan could be developed. 



Polaris kept heading south. Choppy seas made monitoring his path 

 difficult, but the whale was spotted later off the coast of Virginia Beach, 

 still heading south. The whale network received reports from various 

 sources — including a sighting from a person on a Kitty Hawk pier. 



Officials got aerial views of the whale off the Outer Banks, as well 

 as views from a Coast Guard vessel. On July 17, a charter boat called in a 

 sighting near Diamond Shoals, southeast of Hatteras. The boat was 

 standing by for the Coast Guard and "first respondef ' Bill Foster of 

 Hatteras. 



But before Foster could arrive, another charter boat made a "well- 



intentioned but misguided" effort to help the whale — 

 and cut the line that held the telemetry buoy. 



This happened despite frequent Coast Guard 

 broadcasts warning vessels about the situation. Also, 

 federal regulations prohibit approaches to right whales 

 within 500 yards. 



Without the telemetry, the network had to rely 

 solely on sightings of Polaris as he continued south, 

 past South Carolina and Georgia. 



While this case took a frustrating rum off the 

 North Carolina coast, there is a bit of a silver lining — 

 emergency gear and trained whale network responders 

 are right here on our coast thanks to the Fishery 

 Resource Grant program. 



Several years ago, Foster's FRG project 

 established a North Carolina disentanglement 

 network. Some responders — including scientists from the Duke Marine 

 Laboratory — earned special certification to approach endangered 

 whales. CCS also provided lower-tier response training to representatives 

 of the fishing community and state and federal agencies. 



The grant also provided "emergency kits" at Oregon Inlet and Fort 

 Macon Coast Guard stations. Known to the network as "caches," the kits 

 include inflatable boats, telemetry buoys and special cutting tools to 

 release fishing gear without injuring the whale. 



So, if you see a whale in trouble, call the Coast Guard and give your 

 location. You should "stand by" — stay back at least 500 yards, but keep 

 the whale in sight. Then wait for the trained responders to handle the 

 situation. 



For an update on Polaris, or to learn more about the Center for 

 Coastal Studies, go online to www.coastalstudies.org. 



Katie Mosher, Managing Editor 



IN THIS ISSUE 



Contributing Writers: 

 Ann Green D Cynthia Henderson D Robin Sutton 

 Katie Mosher a Pam Smith 



Contributing Photographers: 

 Barbara Doll ° Donna Johnson a Herman Lankford 

 David Nash Scott D. Taylor D Sheri Thomas 



North Carolina's diverse coast offers countless interesting subjects. 

 The large dots on the locator map indicate story settings in this issue — 

 including Core Banks in Carteret County, as well as Kinston and Raleigh. 



