stranded whales

crazygeryy

could someone please tell me why a rope or something like it can't be tied around stranded whales so they can be pulled back out to sea?
i could guess the answer myself but I'm just wondering if anyone has a proper answer.
thanks.

stampydmonkey

crazygeryy wrote: »

could someone please tell me why a rope or something like it can't be tied around stranded whales so they can be pulled back out to sea?
i could guess the answer myself but I'm just wondering if anyone has a proper answer.
thanks.

gona guess cause the weight of their body, they would rip apart or damage organs.

interested to hear the real answer tho

loveisdivine

Well firstly its too heavy. Also I would imagine their is the risk of the whale drowning, depending on how far out you have too tow it. If its head is under water for too long it will drown. This is complicated by the fact that the whale would probably be very stressed anyway, so pulling it around the place will only stress it out more. Which in turn will lead to it breathing faster, which means a stronger likelihood of it drowning.

You will find plenty more information, about the whale currently in Baltimore, here http://www.iwdg.ie/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2309 It also explains why rescue missions cant be done a lot of the time.

Oh and remember back to the whale that got stuck in the Thames. The public outcry for someone to help the whale resulted in a doomed attempt to bring it back out to sea, and it died because of all the stress and physical damage done by trying to rescue it.

Edit - I forgot to say. Whales dont strand themselves for no reason. This particular whale is clearly very ill and on deaths door. Even if you could get it back out to sea alive (unlikely) its just going to float around till it dies. Other animals will probably start eating it before it actually dies too, as it wont really be able to defend itself, or get away. So its better to leave it where it is, and let it die peacefully.

ClubDead

I saw that story on the news last night. Couldn’t understand why parents would bring there kids to watch an animal in extreme physical and emotional distress. Since they realised they can't save it, isn’t there a way they could have put the animal out of its misery rather than just waiting for it to bleed to death?

death1234567

loveisdivine wrote: »

Whales dont strand themselves for no reason.

+1. Even if it was possible to tow the whale back out to sea it would probably just try to strand itself again.

Bad Panda

death1234567 wrote: »

+1. If it was possible to tow the whale back out to sea it would probably just try to strand itself again.

And maybe not. The poor bast@rds who strand themselves in Ireland don't stand a chance. Can't do anything right!

CJhaughey

ClubDead wrote: »

I saw that story on the news last night. Couldn’t understand why parents would bring there kids to watch an animal in extreme physical and emotional distress. Since they realised they can't save it, isn’t there a way they could have put the animal out of its misery rather than just waiting for it to bleed to death?

Nature is red in tooth and claw.

NewStart!

I don't think they could get a vet to euthanize it because of its sheer size. Bullets wouldn't penetrate the skull due to the thickness of blubber surrounding it and would ultimately cause more distress to the animal by firing shots into it to try and put it down no matter how good the intentions were

ClubDead

CJhaughey wrote: »

Nature is red in tooth and claw.

Okay.....

CJhaughey

ClubDead wrote: »

Okay.....

Its a quote from a Tennyson poem that refers to the natural world being a wild place where not everything is sanitised.
Seeing a fin whale stranded live is a fairly unusual event and it is entirely understandable that people are curious.
Most people maybe get to see a dolphin or seal not a 50t fin whale.
I think its normal and healthy for people to express an interest in the natural world.

loveisdivine

Just to answer a couple of questions asked, although they are already in the link I gave, the reasons why the animal couldnt be euthanised are -

1. The chemical that other countries (including NI) use to euthanise animals of this size, is illegal in Ireland because of its toxicity. Once its used, the body has to be removed immediately as it is so toxic. This also means one tiny mistake can cause a hell of a lot more problems. There are no other medicines in Ireland capable of killing a creature this size.

2. Another often used method by Australia on fully beached whales, is to set off explosives right against the head of the whale. This could not be done in this situation as the whale was still floating. Plus I dont think anyone here has experience with it, so they would probably be reluctant to do it anyway.

3. Pure fire power, whilst probably the only viable method here is still not really humane/ideal. The IWDG were actually trying to get the military involved by day 3, but even they admitted before then that shooting it would be difficult and stressful for the whale. Its simply got too much blubber and mass that it would take a lot of fire power to ge through it all and do the job.

@ Bad Panda - I already detailed above why its not possible to refloat a lot of stranded cetaceans. In the cases where it is a healthy but possibly just lost cetacean, then the IWDG are starting to attempt refloats. Once was succesful not so long ago, its detailed on their website.

BTW - I have no affiliation with the IWDG. I just try and keep up to date and knowledgeable about these things.

Its something I would imagine we are going to have to get better at as more whales visit Irish waters.

Lastly, if you thought what happened to this whale was cruel/inhumane check out The Cove film or read up on how many hundreds of whales are harpooned by Japan every year. Now that is a much more inhumane and unneccesary cruel death. More people need to get angry about that.

ClubDead

CJhaughey wrote: »

Its a quote from a Tennyson poem that refers to the natural world being a wild place where not everything is sanitised.
Seeing a fin whale stranded live is a fairly unusual event and it is entirely understandable that people are curious.
Most people maybe get to see a dolphin or seal not a 50t fin whale.
I think its normal and healthy for people to express an interest in the natural world.

I’m familiar with the quote I just thought it was a bizarre response to a genuine question. I agree that things that happen in nature might not sit well with us but its natures way, I just thought if it was possible wouldn’t it have been kind to help the animal along. I also agree seeing a 50ft whale would be a beautiful and wonderful experience for any child. But bring a child to view a 50ft whale covered in wounds, swimming in its own blood and suffering an awful death is just sick.

loveisdivine

CJhaughey wrote: »

Its a quote from a Tennyson poem that refers to the natural world being a wild place where not everything is sanitised.
Seeing a fin whale stranded live is a fairly unusual event and it is entirely understandable that people are curious.
Most people maybe get to see a dolphin or seal not a 50t fin whale.
I think its normal and healthy for people to express an interest in the natural world.

Well then maybe people should go on a whale watching trip. Not bring their kids to go and watch a whale die a very distressing death. The flashing cameras and screaming kids certainly didnt make for a peaceful/calm end to its life.

CJhaughey

Whale watching while interesting won't allow you to see the whale as close as the one in Baltimore.
I don't see it as sick, thats a different way of looking at things in my view.
The Whale was sick and dying, its not a human.
Anthropomorphism is a bad path to be treading IMHO.
If the whale was at sea and was being eaten live by sharks would it be a more peaceful and calm death?
Nature is as it is, every day animals die in all manner of ways and some of them are not pretty.

Neeson

Was that Whale kilt yet?

loveisdivine

It's got nothing to do with anthropomorphism. It's to do with people showing zero interest in wildlife, until it presents itself right infront of them, and they don't have to make an effort.

I love whales and I hope to one day see one in real life. However if there were a beached or stranded whale at my local beach, suffering an unpleasant death, there's no way I would go and have a look and take pictures. I have no issue with death, I for one agreed with not intervening. I'm glad that it died naturally.
I just don't need to go and gawp at a bloodied dying whale, just so I can say I've seen one.

I for one think animals dying being a family day out, is a dangerous road to go down.