Baby Humpback whale on Moreton Island to be put down, Queensland, Australia

By Darren Cartwright

From: AAP

August 10, 2011

The baby humpback whale that beached on the Gold Coast on Monday was found washed up on Moreton Island on Wednesday. Picture: 9 Channel

A BABY humpback whale rescued off the Gold Coast today will be put down after beaching itself for the second time in three days.

                         A baby humpback whale washed up on Surfers Paradise Beach will be put down. Picture: Adam Head

The calf has been located on the eastern side of Moreton Island off the south-east Queensland coast and a Department of Environment and Resource Management spokeswoman said the calf would be euthanased.

Sea World Director of Marine Sciences Trevor Long said the calf would not survive without its mother to provide food and protection.

A Sea World rescue team is on its way to the island.

Mr Long was in charge of the team which saved the whale on Monday when it was beached at Surfers Paradise.

“It’s been a very sad morning for everyone involved in this operation who helped to give the young calf the best chance of survival by getting him into the ocean so he could have the best possible chance of being reunited with his mother,” Mr Long said in a statement.

“The Sea World team is deeply saddened by this outcome and would like to thank the public for their concern for the whale calf.”

Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort director Trevor Hassard said the calf was beached near Big and Little sand hills on Moreton Island.

“You’ve got an animal that’s just like a human baby. It’s dependent in its mother,” Mr Hassard said.

“The problem is the whale would be suckling at least 40 times a day and all it has to do when it is born is gorge itself to put weight on and build up that blubber layer.

“It could be putting up to one kilogram of weight on every hour and it’s not doing that.”

Interest in the baby whale’s fate has been intense after several thousand people gathered on Surfers Paradise beach on Monday to watch the rescue.

news.com.au

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