Local whale rescuers featured on ‘Big Blue Live’

Happening this week, the BBC and PBS are teaming up to highlight the near death and recovery of Monterey Bay. ‘Big Blue Live’ is a three night event that has been months in the making.

One of the features of the program includes a live interview with Pieter Folkens. He’s the lead for the Whale Entanglement Team, who works out of Moss Landing. The team started nearly 10 years ago, and since then, a countless number of whales have been rescued. Last year, there were 17 confirmed reports of entangled whales statewide. So far this year, they’ve had 19 in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary alone.

“I don’t know if its that many more are getting entangled or we’ve done such a good outreach and they know there’s a team that responds,” said Peggy Stap, executive director of Marine Life Studies. “It’s been phenomenal.”

The group is getting some much deserved attention for its hard work. Its most recent rescues are being featured on ‘Big Blue Live.’

Last year, a whale was caught on some fishing line attached to crab pots. The group worked for days to free the whale.

“It was really exciting to know that whale was surviving because we were really worried it might lose its fluke,” Stap said.

Earlier this summer, an entangled whale took rescuers on a four day adventure from Monterey Bay to the Farallon Islands. Just a few weeks ago, a Minke whale was rescued in Monterey Harbor. Rescuers are all volunteers and the cost to save lives is expensive.

“We need new equipment because equipment breaks,” Stap said. “There’s new technology that we want to try for a response so, we’re always thinking of what we can do better. We learn from every single response.”