Dead whale sighted off Na Pali Coast

A dead whale was reported off Na Pali Coast Tuesday by several tour firms and witnesses.

Michelle Bane, the Kaua‘i marine mammal response coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), confirmed the carcass after seeing it Monday with the U.S. Coast Guard.

She said the dead whale was not the same whale which was reported entangled last week.

“The dead whale was about 1  1/2 miles off Na Pali coast, and when I got to it, I observed at least five very large Tiger sharks attacking the carcass,” Bane said by telephone. “It had been dead for a while.”

She said there was no gear on the carcass and because the whale appeared to have been dead for a while, it led her to believe it is not the same whale which was reported entangled last week.

“There is a possibility the dead whale may come ashore,” Bane said. “If people should see the whale onshore, they should keep a distance away and report it to the National Marine Mammal hotline at 1-888-256-9840.”

She said due to the decaying nature of the whale, there are germs which could harm humans in addition to the presence of sharks feeding in the area.

“People should keep their distance,” Bane said. “It’s about public safety. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Reports of an entangled whale reached Bane Thursday, prompting a response.

“The whale was entangled with several white and orange buoys attached to it,” Bane said. “The Coast Guard was able to attach a telemetry buoy to the whale so we could track it.”

She said an entanglement team attempted to free the whale Saturday, but despite the tracking device, could not locate the whale.