Whale carcass towed to sea for second time

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

A crew worked in shark-infested waters near Ka'a'awa yesterday to remove a whale carcass that had been towed out to sea Friday but drifted back over the weekend during a storm in which tradewinds dropped and currents didn't act as expected.

At least 10 tiger sharks ranging from 10 to 15 feet in length swam near the whale as one man in the water attempted to sling a rope around the 45-foot carcass while others beat back the sharks from an 18-foot Boston Whaler.

But the four-man crew working to remove the whale wasn't fearful, said Randy Cates, 38, owner of Cates International, which towed the whale out of Kane'ohe Bay on Friday and again yesterday from Ka'a'awa.

"The bad part of this was we saw the sharks prior to doing the work," Cates said while towing the dead animal out to sea yesterday evening. "It's better to see them after you're done and are out of the water."

Right after they got under way two sharks attacked each other in a spectacular show of aggression, he said, adding that the crew was very careful when working in the oily, putrid water about 200 yards off Ka'a'awa Beach Park.

The crew worked from noon to about 2:30 p.m. before taking the carcass to a location between Kaena Point and Kaua'i, said Peter Young, chairman of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Young warned against swimming in the area where the carcass had been.

"Now that tiger sharks have been spotted around the carcass, there is a higher-than-normal risk of sharks in the inshore area," he said. "Even after the carcass is removed, the public should avoid swimming within a mile radius of the stranding site for another 24 hours to avoid possible encounters with lingering sharks."

A storm that interfered with tradewinds and currents caused the carcass to return to shore, said Jeff Walters, with DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources. Before towing the carcass out again, DLNR consulted with University of Hawai'i oceanographers to determine the best place to take the remains, Walters said.

The project will cost more than $6,000, which DLNR will pay, he said, adding that Friday's tow — also about $6,000 — was paid for by the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.