28 long-finned pilot whales stranded on a beach in South Bruny, Australia *PIC*

Whale rescue victory

BLAIR RICHARDS | March 19, 2011

WHALE rescuers south of Hobart were jubilant yesterday after an all-night operation saved 11 of the 12 surviving whales in a pod that beached on Bruny Island.

About 28 long-finned pilot whales became stranded on a beach in South Bruny National Park on Thursday afternoon. Their plight was reported by a yachtsman.

                                The whale rescue on Bruny Island yesterday. Picture: DPIPWE

The pod included calves and adults weighing up to three tonnes.

The whales were thought to have become stranded while feasting on squid in shallow water.

Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment biologist David Pemberton said about 20 Tassal workers joined department staff and wildlife biologists to rescue the stricken animals.

A team of five department rescuers stayed overnight and got the whales back into the water with the help of the tide.

“At 3.30am the tides and the swell came up so we knew we had to move them. We got them out, they were very nicely together and by 6.30am they were gone,” Dr Pemberton said.

He said because the whales had stranded in a national park, the carcasses would be left on the beach to decompose.

Samples, including fins, were taken from some of the dead whales for further study.

“There’s always a debate as to what happens to dead things on beaches but it’s a national park and they are part of it,” Dr Pemberton said.

“A whale carcass in itself is part of the environment. If it was on a public beach, we might bury them.

“I can confidently speculate they were feeding close to shore on squid on a full moon and got caught on sandbars.

“Being social animals, they hung out together.”

Dr Pemberton said the whales were seen yesterday freely swimming in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

themercury.com.au

Fair Use: Educational

This rare event, involving the world’s second-largest whale species (blue whales are the largest), occurred last week about 10 miles off Dana Point in Orange County, Calif. Fin whales can measure nearly 80 feet long and weigh up to 70 tons.

grindtv.com