Is it possible to save a beached whale

Robinson attributes fishing to the functional extinction of the baiji dolphin and the impending vaquita extinction. Overfishing also deprives cetaceans of their main sources of food, leading them to venture into coastal or tidal waters to hunt. Some causes, like pollution, are insidious. All chemicals eventually make their way to the ocean, where they cause lasting problems.

Meanwhile, plastic pollution can also harm these animals through entanglement, ingestion or contamination of microplastics accumulating in their bodies. Finally, the possibility of being struck by a passing ship poses a particular problem for slow-moving species such as North Atlantic right whales.

Collisions can cause massive injuries or death and lead to beaching. Deep sea species living in the open ocean, like beaked whales, are particularly susceptible to sonar , even from miles away.

Naval sonar activity is thought to be associated with the series of beaked whale strandings in Guam, for example. Unable to dive, the whale cannot hunt and so becomes both malnourished and dehydrated, because it gets water from its food.

Weakened, it will drift with the current and, eventually, end up on the shore. Mass strandings are defined as any event involving two animals—except for a mother and her calf—up to an entire pod, which can range from a handful to hundreds of whales.

They usually occur in highly social species such as pilot and melon-headed whales. With their herding instinct, the entire group will stay together even if one is sick or compromised, which sometimes causes them to strand while trying to support a distressed individual.

To prevent this, rescuers must attend to the stricken animal before refloating the pod. Toxins build up from the reduced circulation, poisoning the animal. Like other mammals, whales breathe air, so they can drown when stranded if water enters their blowhole at high tide. If you encounter a beached whale, do not attempt to move it. Instead, marine charities, the coast guard, or emergency services can help while you await trained volunteers and veterinarians.

Keep the animal upright, wet avoid getting water in its blowhole, and cover it to prevent sunburn. Still, survival rates are low. Rescue teams will only try to refloat an animal if it is healthy enough to survive. The only other options are taking the animal into captivity—in countries that allow it—or euthanasia. While harrowing, Jarvis argues this is the best welfare decision rather than subjecting a wild animal to captivity.

Wait for the tide. When the tide comes in, a whale should be able to slip back into the ocean if it's not too weak. Lounsbury, available through Amazon. Never pour water in the blowhole of whale. Doing so causes it to drown.

Understand that whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which forbids actual contact with marine mammals. That's why it helps to call in the authorities to save a beached whale. This article was written by a professional writer, copy edited and fact checked through a multi-point auditing system, in efforts to ensure our readers only receive the best information.

To submit your questions or ideas, or to simply learn more, see our about us page: link below. Updated July 21, How Do Whales Protect Themselves? How to Identify Whale Bones. Life Cycle of a Whale. The orca, an foot-long male, was initially spotted from a distance, and was at first thought to be a dolphin. Regardless, the BDMLR team was called to the scene, and when they arrived, they properly identified the creature as an orca. The orca in question was lying sideways, collateral to the sea, and initially, volunteers were worried they weren't going to be able to save him.

However, the team rallied a group of caring locals to help turn the whale upright and facing the sea, and they then put him on a dolphin stretcher and catapulted him into the water to swim free. It rolled a couple of times and then submerged and continued straight out away from the beach without looking back. Whales most often get stranded ashore if they're sick, injured, or old, according to Wildlife Florida. Weather conditions can also play a major role in their poor navigational judgements, and occasionally, whales simply make a wrong turn while hunting or swimming.

Certain species are scientifically more prone to beaching than others, but needless to say, it's tragic when it happens, and it can often lead to fatal dehydration. Climate researchers have also looked at climate change as a contributor to whales beaching. Many have suggested that changes in water temperature may cause an influx of beachings.

Others have also proposed that boats can affect whales' echolocation abilities, which throws off their inner GPS and can therefore lead to them making a wrong turn. So, human activity may unfortunately play a role in beachings, too.