Whales sometimes make their way into shallow water for a variety of reasons, and when this occurs, the risk of stranding is great. Stranded whales often die due to simple dehydration; even when rescuers work around the clock to keep the mammals moist, they are at risk of death caused by their bodies collapsing under their own weight. In some cases, stranded whales die of drowning when high tides cover their blowholes. Whale researchers and volunteers have added some new techniques and tools to their arsenal in hope of saving more stranded whales; here, we take an inside look at how whale rescue is accomplished.
Anatomy of a Whale Rescue
The longer whales are stranded, the less their chances of survival. When wildlife authorities receive calls reporting stranded whales, they spring into action. In a recent stranding of 51 pilot whales in three feet of water about 75 feet from shore in the Florida Everglades area, six whales were found dead when aid arrived and four others were humanely euthanized because they were suffering and were not likely to survive.
NOAA’s Stranding Network includes professional biologists and teams of trained volunteers located in all coastal states. Spokesman and marine mammal biologist Trevor Spradlin says that successful rescues often depend on the initial cause of stranding; whales sometimes strand themselves as part of social behavior, though weakness caused by hunger, disease, injury from a boat strike, or the impacts of noise or chemical pollution are often factors.
Rescuers focus on treating injured cetaceans as well as on using various methods to move the animals into deeper water. While older techniques such as banging on pipes to create noise that drives them out of the shallows are still used, recordings of predators are played in an attempt to drive the cetaceans away. Recordings of calls made by members of their own species are also played to convince the whales to move into deeper water.
For animals that are actually beached, rescuers attempt to get equipment such as heavy movers, cranes, and slings into position before injuries make survival impossible. “Cetaceans are designed to live in water, so when they are stranded on a beach their internal organs aren’t used to having that weight on them and they start getting crushed,” Spradlin told reporters. “So when it comes to rescue, time is usually of the essence.” In remote areas, equipment can be hard to come by, so volunteers must work hard around the clock to keep the animals wet and cool. Once equipment is in place, tranquilizers are used to prevent injury, the animals are often fitted with electronic tracking tags, and are then moved into deeper water. Once there, they are herded back out to sea where they can recover in safety.
In cases where machinery cannot be brought in to assist and digging out doesn’t work, animals are often severely compromised. Spradlin says that euthanasia is sometimes the only option, as a slow, painful death is assured when rescue is impossible. These animals are studied, providing scientists with clues that help identify the cause of death and aid in providing greater understanding about the species.
When cetaceans are stranded, people from all walks of life pitch in to help. If you live in a coastal area you can join a stranding team that works with NOAA under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Training is normally provided free of charge, and the experience of helping cetaceans is life-changing and priceless.