Letter: Three Cheers for Whale Rescuers

Byline: Marcia Pringle

I read the story in The Log’s  April 13-26 issue, “Two Whales Rescued in Same Week off SoCal Coast,” with much interest.

Kudos to everyone involved in the rescues of these whales — including the great people from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, who provided the best possible care for these troubled whales; Capt. Dave Anderson of Capt. Dave’s Dolphin Safari, who was first on the scene when one gray whale was found tangled in gill net off Dana Point; boater Peter Bartholomew, who monitored the aforementioned whale overnight until rescuers could arrive; and Los Angeles County Lifeguards, who ferried a whale rescue team out to another whale tangled in gill net off Redondo Beach.

The effort put forth by the marine mammal rescuers, all the boaters who helped out, and everyone else associated with these rescues was both admirable and inspiring.

As boaters, I think we all feel a special kinship to those migrating whales along our coast. It’s good to know that sometimes we can help them out a little when they need it.

It’s too bad, though, that we can’t protect them from such destructive hazards as gill nets. Miles of net thrown into the sea that unintentionally keeps catching whales, dolphins and countless other species — long after it has been discarded — amounts to a disgraceful hazard. And, in my opinion, gill net use should have long ago been outlawed off our coast.

Marcia Pringle
Fullerton