DISENTANGLE
We disentangle marine mammals that have become entrapped in fishing gear and trash, while also collecting data.
Check out our full research page for more information on what we do best along with our collaborative partners and research publications.
Marine Mammal Disentanglement Network
PMMC is a member of the Orange County Large Whale Entanglement Response Team. Marine mammals occasionally swim into fishing gear and marine debris and get stuck, injured, or even killed. Due to the dangerous nature of responding to entangled large whales, our responders go through extensive training and many years of apprenticeship to learn the proper techniques and protocols to ensure THEIR SAFETY & THAT OF THE ANIMALS.
This work is done under a permit held by NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. For more information on the disentanglement network please go to: SOS WHALE or call 1-866-767-6114 to report entangled marine mammals.
Are marine mammal-human interactions on the rise?
This is a question that researchers at PMMC are looking to answer. We are starting a retrospective analysis of human interaction (HI) cases here at PMMC. We are looking at Orange County HI cases specifically to:
Determine if HI cases are on the rise.
Analyze the type of human interaction to see if one is more common than others.
Examine the types of marine mammals that are afflicted with HI injuries to determine if some species are more prone than others.
Large Whale Interventions
The Pacific Marine Mammal Center, along with the other members of NOAA’s disentanglement network, attempts to safely free large whales off California from life-threatening entanglements, and, at the same time, help gather valuable information that may reduce the frequency and impact of entanglement in the future. We are exploring means for providing additional veterinary care for these whales during and following the emergency disentanglement response.