After spending seven nights and eight days adrift at sea, fisherman Apiuta was rescued following a coordinated search involving the New Zealand Air Force and nearby fishing vessels, bringing an end to an ordeal during which he survived by conserving resources and maintaining hope of being found.

Apiuta, 42, said one of the most emotional moments during his time at sea came on the third day after he completed his evening prayer. Looking across the water, he spotted what appeared to be a fishing vessel in the distance and believed rescue was within reach.

He said he paddled his small boat toward the vessel as quickly as possible, encouraged by the possibility of being seen. However, strong winds pushed his boat away from the fishing vessel, which eventually disappeared from view before contact could be established.

As the days passed, Apiuta concentrated on survival. He said his priority was to conserve the limited water available to him, protect himself from the cold and ensure that his boat remained afloat while waiting for an opportunity to be located.

On the eighth day, changing weather conditions provided renewed hope. Apiuta said he heard the sound of an aircraft overhead as the sky cleared, prompting him to believe that rescue might finally be approaching.

The aircraft was identified as a New Zealand Air Force plane, which circled above the area after locating signs of his presence. The crew alerted nearby fishing vessels and directed them toward the location to assist in the search.

A Taiwanese fishing vessel subsequently reached the area. Apiuta said he repeatedly blew his whistle until a member of the vessel’s crew heard the signal and directed a torch toward his boat, allowing the crew to locate him in the darkness.

The rescue ended more than a week of isolation at sea. After being brought aboard the fishing vessel, Apiuta was provided with food, an opportunity to shower and the means to contact his family.

He said the first person he called was his partner. Recalling the conversation, Apiuta said his first words were, “Darling, I’m okay.”

Following the rescue, Apiuta was taken to New Zealand, where he is expected to remain temporarily before travelling home.

Despite the experience, Apiuta said he intends to continue working as a fisherman. However, he said the incident has reinforced the importance of carrying essential safety equipment and preparing carefully before every journey at sea.

Reflecting on the lessons from his survival, Apiuta urged other fishermen not to overlook basic precautions. He said they should always carry a torch, wear a life jacket, remember a raincoat and begin every fishing trip with a prayer.

A prolonged marine heatwave off the California coast is altering whale migration and feeding behavior, increasing the risk of entanglements with commercial fishing equipment and accelerating efforts to expand whale-safe fishing technologies across the U.S. west coast.

Scientists say warming offshore waters are shrinking the cold, nutrient-rich zones that sustain krill, anchovies and sardines, key prey species for humpback whales. As those prey populations move closer to shore, whales are increasingly entering areas heavily used by California’s Dungeness crab fleet.

The overlap has intensified concerns over the fishery’s conventional trap system, which relies on vertical lines extending from traps on the seafloor to floating surface buoys. Tens of thousands of such lines can remain in the water during crab season, creating entanglement hazards for whales migrating and feeding along the Pacific coast.

California regulators this spring again imposed restrictions on portions of the commercial crab fishery off central California, temporarily closing areas to traditional gear as whale activity increased near fishing grounds.

Similar closures have become more common in recent years as ocean warming disrupts long-established migration and feeding patterns.Marine biologists say humpback whales face the greatest risk because of their behavior around fishing equipment.“Humpbacks are curious and they’ll scratch their backs on the gear,” said Kathi George, director of cetacean conservation biology at The Marine Mammal Center.

“If they get a line caught on their body, they’ll breach and they’ll roll and end up entangling themselves.”Entangled whales can remain trapped in fishing gear for months, often dragging heavy equipment across long distances.

Researchers say the strain can prevent whales from feeding or diving normally, contributing to exhaustion, infection, starvation and drowning.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 36 whales were confirmed entangled along the U.S. west coast in 2024, the highest reported number since 2018.

Scientists caution that many incidents likely go unrecorded because entangled whales can disappear offshore before being observed.In response, California approved commercial deployment of ropeless “pop-up” crab fishing systems for the first time this year, allowing parts of the fleet to continue operating later into the season while reducing risks to marine mammals.

The technology eliminates permanently floating buoy lines. Instead, ropes and buoys remain stored with the trap on the seafloor until fishermen return and activate an acoustic release mechanism that sends the gear to the surface.

Supporters say the system could substantially reduce whale entanglements while allowing fishermen to maintain harvests during periods when traditional gear would otherwise be prohibited.

Environmental groups and fisheries managers increasingly view adaptive fishing systems as necessary as climate-driven ocean changes intensify along the Pacific coast.

Scientists expect continued overlap between whales, shipping traffic and fishing operations as warming conditions reshape marine ecosystems.“We will have to continue to be adaptive and science driven in terms of our management to reduce wildlife risk and keep fishermen on the water,” said Caitlynn Birch, a marine scientist and Pacific campaign manager at Oceana.

Birch said California’s transition toward whale-safe fishing systems could become a model for other fisheries operating along the west coast.Separate monitoring efforts are also expanding in California’s coastal waters as researchers and conservation agencies seek to better track whale movements in high-risk areas.

Camera systems installed near locations including Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island may eventually support broader surveillance coverage across the San Francisco Bay region to improve detection of whales moving near shipping lanes and fishing zones.

Marine heatwaves in the Pacific have become more frequent and intense over the past decade, affecting fish populations, marine mammal migration routes and coastal fisheries.

Researchers say those changes are forcing regulators and fishing industries to adopt increasingly flexible management systems capable of responding quickly to changing environmental conditions.