In the Wake of Giants

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Humpback whales migrating between Alaska and Hawaii can become entangled in any kind of human debris that enters the water column. That can include terrestrial trash, mooring ropes and fishing gear, or even scientific hydrophone arrays. Once entangled, the whale begins to slowly weaken. If an individual cannot feed, it may die of starvation or even hypothermia as precious body fat begins to erode. In the Wake of Giants features Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary experts and trained volunteers from nearly every walk of life. They are part of a global support network who follow and cut free the imperiled animals. Most of the time they are successful. Unfortunately, some whales are past the point of no return. Once a whale is spotted and reported to the Large Mammal Disentanglement Network, a methodical process begins. Weather conditions, the animal's health, and proximity to specially equipped Marine Sanctuary vessels are some of the things that the team must consider before launching the effort. Early whalers developed methods using harpoons and kegs to exhaust and ultimately kill whales commercially. Now, it may be what we've learned from whale hunting that gives these giants a second chance.