Educate
Education is a cornerstone of our mission, extending beyond our immediate response team to the wider community. We believe that informed citizens and stakeholders play a crucial role in preventing whale entanglements and supporting rescue efforts. Through outreach initiatives, we aim to raise awareness about the causes and consequences of whale entanglements and promote practices that minimize such risks. By sharing our knowledge and experience, we empower others to contribute to the protection of marine life and support sustainable practices in commercial fishing and other maritime activities.
Public Outreach
At EWROC, public outreach is a vital part of our mission to protect marine life. Through community events, educational programs, and partnerships, we aim to raise awareness about entangled whale responses and the importance of marine conservation. Our team provides expert training to strengthen the network of responders and engages the public in meaningful ways to inspire action in preserving ocean ecosystems.
Whether through hands-on experiences, informative talks, or digital resources, EWROC is committed to empowering individuals and communities to join us in protecting our oceans. Interested in hosting an event please contact us.
Surfrider South Orange County, Ocean Institute, June 2026
Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, May 2026
Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, May 2026
Festival of Whales 2026
Festival of Whales 2026
Festival of Whales 2026
Ocean Institute Distinguished Speaker Series Presentation, March 4, 2026
Ocean Institute Distinguished Speaker Series Presentation, March 4, 2026
Ocean Institute Distinguished Speaker Series Presentation, March 4, 2026
Ocean Institute Distinguished Speaker Series Presentation, March 4, 2026
Ocean Institute Distinguished Speaker Series Presentation, March 4, 2026
Presentation Laguna Woods Yacht Club, March 2026
Presentation Laguna Woods Yacht Club, March 2026
Presentation Laguna Woods Yacht Club, March 2026
EWROC presented aboard the Ocean Institute's RV Sea Explorer at the 2025 Stoked On Science Youth Conference.
EWROC presented aboard the Ocean Institute's RV Sea Explorer at the 2025 Stoked On Science Youth Conference.
EWROC presented aboard the Ocean Institute's RV Sea Explorer at the 2025 Stoked On Science Youth Conference.
EWROC presented aboard the Ocean Institute's RV Sea Explorer at the 2025 Stoked On Science Youth Conference.
EWROC presented aboard the Ocean Institute's RV Sea Explorer at the 2025 Stoked On Science Youth Conference.
EWROC presented aboard the Ocean Institute's RV Sea Explorer at the 2025 Stoked On Science Youth Conference.
Sea Drinks, Hennessy's Dana Point June 2025
Sea Drinks, Hennessy's Dana Point June 2025
Sea Drinks, Hennessy's Dana Point June 2025
Dana Point Festival of Whales, 2025
Dana Point Festival of Whales, 2025
Dana Point Festival of Whales, 2025
Dana Point Festival of Whales, 2025
40th annual Maritime Festival, Dana Point, 2024.
40th annual Maritime Festival, Dana Point, 2024.
40th annual Maritime Festival, Dana Point, 2024.
40th annual Maritime Festival, Dana Point, 2024.
Presentation at Aventura sailing club in Dana Point on 11/21/24.
Presentation at Aventura sailing club in Dana Point on 11/21/24.
Presentation at Aventura sailing club in Dana Point on 11/21/24.
Dana Point Festival of Whales, 2025
Research
We underscore the vital importance of ongoing research and forward-thinking strategies in addressing marine life entanglements. By constantly updating our understanding and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we strive to improve our network's effectiveness in preventing and mitigating these incidents. Our commitment to innovation ensures that we stay ahead of emerging threats, safeguarding marine ecosystems for future generations.
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Read the report.
NOAA FISHERIES: In 2024, confirmed entanglement reports in NOAA’s West Coast Region were the highest since 2018. We confirmed 36 entangled whales off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, or off the coast of other countries but entangled in U.S. West Coast commercial fishing gear. Similar to recent years, humpback whales continued to be the most common species entangled, with 31 separate entanglements confirmed in 2024. Four gray whales and one fin whale also were confirmed entangled. -
NOAA FISHERIES: In 2023, we confirmed 27 entangled large whales off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, or off the coast of other countries and states but entangled in U.S. West Coast commercial fishing gear. This remains above the numbers of reported entanglements prior to 2014, but continues a pattern of fewer reported entanglements compared to the high point of more than 50 in 2016. Similar to recent years, humpback whales continue to be the most common species entangled, with 16 separate entanglements confirmed in 2023. Nine gray whales and two transient killer whales also were confirmed entangled.
Learn more
The American Cetacean Society is the first non-profit conservation group anywhere devoted to cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises. ACS-OC provides a variety of resources that include expert speakers, naturalist training, and educational materials..
The Whale Tale
Quarterly EWROC newsletter
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Welcome to the fourth edition of EWROC’s newsletter, “The Whale Tale”. The team continues to work hard to develop a strong response network in Orange County. In this edition, we will spotlight some of the multi-agency training that has brought new personnel into the community. We will also highlight the public interactions and presentations we have conducted to help spread the word about whale entanglements, as well as successes we have had getting more “eyes on the water”. There is also exciting news regarding a new type of commercial fishing gear that could have a significant impact on the number of entanglements that occur each year. EWROC personnel have also been testing new equipment that will hopefully improve communications, as well as camera systems to improve real-time examinations of entanglements. One of the strengths of the whale disentanglement community is the coordination and cooperation among the different teams in the network. This includes responders outside of the U.S. Many of you may not know that Mexico also has a strong network of teams (seventeen!), and they frequently collaborate with NOAA regarding entanglements (since migrating whales do not abide by international boundaries). We will highlight that team and the relationship in this issue. Finally, we are excited to announce that EWROC has begun working with a documentary film crew to tell the story of “Freedom”, the Humpback whale successfully disentangled off Dana Point on July 19, 2024.
So once again, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and read on to see what EWROC has been doing to help protect these magnificent animals.
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The team has been quite busy since our last update in May. During that time, we have participated in several on-water training sessions to strengthen the skills of our responders, acquired new equipment to aid in disentanglement operations, and provided education on whale entanglement at multiple public events. The recent government shutdown has also affected NOAA, presenting challenges for how the disentanglement teams nationwide respond to such events. This prompted EWROC to organize a meeting involving other members of the Orange County whale community (including representatives from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Captain Dave’s Dolphin Safari, and Dana Wharf Sportfishing) to discuss how we as a network would respond to whale entanglements during the shutdown. While we know it won’t last forever, and NOAA-led operations will eventually resume, this meeting allowed us the opportunity to network with other interested parties in Orange County and set the stage for even more robust response efforts in the future.
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Welcome to the second edition of the Entangled Whale Response of Orange County (EWROC) newsletter, THE WHALE TALE. A lot has happened in the past few months. We will start with the latest news first. On April 30, 2025, we marked the first anniversary of EWROC’s incorporation as the only all-volunteer whale disentanglement response team in the southern California region. We have accomplished some incredible things since our first meeting in February 2024, where we discussed strengthening Orange County's whale disentanglement efforts.
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This edition will give you an idea of who we are and why we came together to help strengthen Orange County’s entangled whale response capabilities. We will briefly discuss our 2024 responses, emphasize the importance of training, and highlight our public education efforts. In a short amount of time, we have been able to build our all-volunteer, non-profit organization into a professional and reliable NOAA response asset. We look forward to sharing our journey with you in future editions and hope you will tell your family and friends the story of EWROC.
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