Namibian Cetacean Stranding and Whale Disentanglement Workshops

Sunny Imalwa | May 7th, 2025 | News

At the end of last month (April), the project took a major step forward in marine conservation by hosting two specialized workshops focused on Cetacean Strandings and Large Whale Disentanglement. Facilitated in collaboration with the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR).

These hands-on workshops were held in Swakopmund/Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, and are part of a global effort to build response capacity to cetacean emergencies along coastlines where whales and dolphins are vulnerable to strandings and entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris. Each three-day workshop was structured to blend theoretical learning with practical application. Day one focused on cetacean strandings — exploring causes, biological implications, and response protocols. The following two days were dedicated to the disentanglement of large whales, including how to safely approach and release entangled animals using internationally recognized tools and procedures.

What made these sessions especially impactful was the real-world application during the field training exercises. In Walvis Bay, participants encountered approximately 500 meters of discarded longline gear, remnants from an abandoned mariculture operation. This provided an immediate, high-stakes training opportunity in detecting and mitigating marine debris hazards.

The two workshops brought together a total of 69 participants for theoretical training and 25 for practical sea sessions. Marking Namibia as a proud partner of the IWC Global Whale Entanglement Response Network, joining countries like South Africa, Kenya, Mayotte, and Réunion. This growing community has now trained over 1,600 responders from 37 countries, establishing a transboundary approach to whale conservation in light of the species’ migratory nature.

The workshops also resulted in the formal establishment of the Namibian Whale Disentanglement Network (NWDN), coordinated by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), which will take the lead in organizing, expanding, and maintaining a skilled network of local responders trained to act quickly and safely in entanglement scenarios.

A special thanks to our local stakeholders, private vessels, and dinghies who supported the practical training sessions. The success of these workshops marks not only a milestone for Namibia’s conservation capacity but also sets a precedent for continued collaboration, preparedness, and shared responsibility for our oceans.