13 White-sided dolphins beach themselves in Wellfleet, Cape Cod

13 dolphins beach themselves in Wellfleet
It was 7th mass stranding along Cape Cod this winter
By Cristina Silva and Phil McKenna, Globe Staff And Globe Correspondent | January 28, 2006

WELLFLEET -- In at least the seventh mass stranding on Cape Cod this winter, 13 dolphins beached themselves in Wellfleet yesterday afternoon, sending dozens of volunteers scrambling to try to rescue the animals, authorities said. Eight of the animals were dead or were euthanized after workers were unable to save them.

Officials believe the animals came into the bay looking for food and were disoriented by the tides, said Tony LaCasse, spokesman for the New England Aquarium.

Mass strandings have become frequent sightings along the shores of the Cape Cod Bay this winter, during which a total of 72 dolphins and 18 pilot whales were swept to shore and unable to return to the water independently.

Some of the animals died from the shock of being out of water, which gradually caused their organs to stop working. Most of the animals had to be euthanized because they became too ill from the shock to be returned to the ocean, LaCasse said.

LaCasse said he and other environmentalists have no idea why the animals are now coming to the shores in such numbers.

''It's what everyone wants to know, but we just don't know why," he said. ''We sometimes could go a whole winter with having only two or three strandings, but already we have had seven."

Aquarium officials received a call reporting the beached dolphins at about noon yesterday, LaCasse said. More than 30 volunteers rushed out in the cold to save the dolphins, which were beached in five different parts of Wellfleet Harbor, LaCasse said.

When the volunteers arrived, many of the dolphins were severely ill. Some of the dolphins had severe tissue damage around their eyes from being attacked by sea gulls, who, as predators, tend to peck at anything that moves, LaCasse said.

''It can be a very gruesome thing," he said.

The five remaining healthy dolphins, including a mother and her calf, were each placed on sturdy nylon litters, on which the 400-pound animals were carried by about nine volunteers 100 yards through the dunes to the access road where rescue vans were waiting, LaCasse said.

By 6 p.m. last night, the animals were placed in the vans, and officials drove them north along Route 6 to a suitable deep water release point, LaCasse said.

The dolphins were released into three-foot surf in Provincetown at about 8 p.m. Four of the dolphins headed out to sea, but one had to be pointed in the right direction after it began swimming along the shore instead of swimming to deeper water, LaCasse said.

Officials believe the animals will recover safely, said Katie Touhey, director of Cape Cod Stranding Network, which helped with the rescue. ''There is nothing like knowing that you might have actually saved some animals' lives," she said.

''You can compare this to a back-country rescue," LaCasse said. ''It takes time to find out where they are, organize the resources, and carry these animals out."

Throughout the rescue, the animals communicated with one another by making a clicking noise, LaCasse said.

''It was very heartwarming and a little heart-stopping," he said, ''You get the sense that they know you are trying to help them."

Of the 13 animals, 10 were common dolphins and three were white-sided dolphins, LaCasse said.

Mass strandings can occur when animals are injured or when they come on shore looking for prey, and become trapped by outgoing tides, LaCasse said.

Most of the strandings this winter occurred along the shores of Cape Cod Bay near Wellfleet, LaCasse said.

Last week, four dolphins died after they were stranded on Jan. 17. Ten dolphins were stranded Jan. 14, and five were rescued.

In the largest stranding this winter, 44 animals, including 18 pilot whales and 26 dolphins, died after they stranded themselves along the shores near Wellfleet after a fierce snowstorm on Dec. 10.

''It is very difficult for the animals to navigate through those waters," LaCasse said. ''They can make mistakes."

Cristina Silva reported from Boston, Phil McKenna from Wellfleet.



© Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company



13 Dolphins Stranded On Cape Cod

POSTED: 11:33 am EST January 28, 2006
UPDATED: 11:46 am EST January 28, 2006

WELLFLEET, Mass. -- Eight of the 13 dolphins found stranded on Wellfleet beaches Friday either died or had to be euthanized. Officials hope five others will survive.

Tony LaCasse, of the New England Aquarium, said the five surviving dolphins were released Friday at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, where the water is deeper and it's easier for the mammals to make it to open ocean.

Of the 13 dolphins, 10 were common dolphins and three were whitesided dolphins.

Volunteers from the Cape Cod Stranding Network helped carry the animals, each weighing about 300 pounds, about a quarter of a mile to the nearest road, where they were loaded into trucks.

One of the animals was tagged so its movements can be tracked.




Stranded dolphins released into bay


PROVINCETOWN, Mass. More dolphin strandings late yesterday. But this time, there was a happy ending.

Five white-sided dolphins stranded on a sandbar in Provincetown late yesterday afternoon were gently released back into the bay by rescue teams.

The stranding capped three days of dolphin rescue efforts. Teams from the Cape Cod Stranding Network and New England Aquarium have responded to 26 dolphin strandings in the past several days.

Many of them have been released. But others died or were euthanized.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Nature News
Another dolphin stranding off Cape Cod
By UPI
Jan 29, 2006, 19:00 GMT



WELLFLEET, MA, United States (UPI) -- Massachusetts wildlife officials say they have no idea why so many dolphins and whales have been stranded this winter on Cape Cod.

In the seventh mass stranding on Cape Cod Friday, 13 dolphins beached themselves in Wellfleet. Dozens of volunteers tried to rescue the animals, but eight of the dolphins were dead, or were euthanized, the Boston Globe reported Saturday.

So far this winter, mass stranding incidents at Cape Cod Bay have involved 72 dolphins and 18 pilot whales swept to shore and unable to return to the water independently.

It`s believed the mammals come into the bay looking for food and get disoriented by the tides, said Tony LaCasse, spokesman for the New England Aquarium.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

Dire days for dolphins
By JASON KOLNOS
STAFF WRITER
Dolphin strandings are at an all-time high in Cape Cod Bay for January and experts don't know why.


As of yesterday, 25 common and 14 white-sided dolphins had been found in four mass strandings, mostly on bay beaches from Barnstable to Provincetown. Sixteen others were stranded alone.

A mass stranding refers to two or more animals of the same species, except for a mother and her calf, which is considered a single unit.

The largest stranding this month was in Orleans, where 10 common dolphins washed up in Rock Harbor last weekend.

Yesterday, staff of the Cape Cod Stranding Network successfully released three healthy-looking common dolphins off Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown that had stranded in Wellfleet. They have saved eight dolphins so far this year.

No one knows why so many dolphins have stranded here so early in the winter, said Katie Touhey, director of the stranding network.

But scientists and volunteers are gathering data to solve the mystery. They take blood samples from carcasses to determine if parasites or bacteria were the killers. They perform exams to look for injuries, such as cuts from fishing nets.

They consider weather patterns, wind speeds, water temperatures and tide cycles.

And all dolphins that die undergo a necropsy - an animal autopsy.

''It's frustrating because there are no significant findings in most mass stranding necropsies other than the fact that the animals were involved in a mass stranding event,'' Touhey said.

Touhey listed three leading theories on the high number of dolphin strandings this month:

n Dolphins chasing prey into tidal areas usually frozen in January. Once inside the tidal labyrinths, many can't get out.

n The animals' internal sonar may be confused by recent changes in bottom contours of the sandbars in Cape Cod Bay.

n A sick dolphin may lead other pod members astray into the dangerously shallow flats. ''There is a unique social cohesion between dolphins,'' Touhey said.

Researchers performing necropsies sometimes find parasites in dolphins' ear canals that may affect navigation, said Sarah Bean, an animal care technician at the New England Aquarium in Boston. But, not always. ''There is frequently no smoking gun and that is disheartening,'' Bean said.

''But the data collected is invaluable for determining possible trends or external factors.''

All tissue and organ samples from the stranding network are sent to David Rotstein, a veterinary pathologist at the University of Tennessee, who is trying to build a central stranding database. Information from those on the scene also helps, he said.

''Teamwork is a huge factor,'' he said, ''because the information provided about weather patterns and water conditions from the volunteers may help us draw better conclusions.''

Jason Kolnos can be reached at jkolnos@capecodonline.com.





(Published: January 27, 2006)

Copyright © Cape Cod Times. All rights reserved.

1 Northern Bottle-nosed Whale stranded in London, UK

Whale spotted in central London
BBC News
Published: 2006/01/20 18:17:22 GMT

A seven-tonne whale has made its way up the Thames to central London, where it is being watched by riverside crowds.
The 16-18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale, which is usually found in deep sea waters, has been seen as far upstream as Chelsea.

A rescue boat has been sent to protect the whale and rescuers have been trying to keep it away from the river banks.
Specialist equipment, including inflatable tubes to re-direct the animal downstream, are being sent.

The whale has come within yards of the banks and has crashed into an empty boat causing slight bleeding.

The last thing we want to do is stress the animal out
Liz Sandeman
Marine Connection

Vets are remaining on standby and experts have said it does not appear to be ill, but are concerned it will get weaker and may become beached.
Tony Woodley, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, which will be handling the rescue, said the animal's welfare was the main priority.
He said if attempts to re-direct the whale downstream failed, it might be necessary to put it down to prevent from suffering further.

'Breathing normally'
The RNLI say it is the first whale rescue on the Thames. A spokesman said three whales were spotted east of the Thames Barrier on Thursday but only one managed to get upstream.
But at 0830 GMT on Friday, a man on a train called in to say he might have been hallucinating, but he had just seen a whale in the Thames.

Alison Shaw of the Marine and Freshwater Conservation Programme at London Zoo, said the northern bottle-nosed whale was usually found in groups of three to 10.
She told the BBC News website: "This is extremely rare in British waters as they are normally found in deep waters in the North Atlantic.

"It is about 16-18ft long, so is relatively mature. It is a very long way from home and we don't know why it has ended up here."
The whales usually weigh about seven tonnes, which will complicate any rescue attempt, experts said.

London Aquarium Curator Paul Hale told the BBC: "Getting that to do anything it doesn't want to do is going to be extremely difficult.
"This is a very active swimming animal and it's not going to go anywhere it doesn't want to go so we have to persuade it to swim back out."
Liz Sandeman, a medic of the Marine Connection, a whale and dolphin protection charity, accompanied the RNLI to examine the animal.

She feared it might be in danger from other boats, or be frightened by the noise.
"The last thing we want to do is stress the animal out," she said.
Over the years dolphins and seals have been spotted in the Thames.
Sperm whales have been seen in the Thames Estuary and porpoises have feasted on fish near Vauxhall Bridge, in central London.

Hyperoodon ampullatus
Adult length: 7-10m (23-33ft)
Weight: 5.8-7.5 tonnes
Diet: Squid, fish
Habitat: Deep offshore waters
Range: Arctic and North Atlantic
Status: Lower risk, conservation dependent, protected since 1977
Distinctive feature: Bulbous forehead


Rescuers ready for Thames whale
Published: 2006/01/20 17:24:28 GMT

Rescuers are planning how to help a whale that has been swimming in the Thames as far west as Chelsea.
The northern bottle-nosed whale, not seen in the Thames for almost 100 years, has floundered in shallow water and looked to be bleeding at times.

Experts said heavy-lifting equipment might be needed if the whale beached when the tide turned.
However, they would give it a full health check before they decided whether to move it.

They have warned that it was likely to be ill as well as disorientated and may not survive the ordeal.

I am afraid I think people have got to prepare themselves that this animal may well not survive
Mark Simmonds
Whale and Dolphin Society

The Whale and Dolphin Society's Mark Simmonds said a rescue effort would be difficult.
"This is a very, very big whale to start manoeuvring around and lots of help and maybe even heavy lifting gear may be required.
"But they won't go to that point if they're not happy that the whale is healthy enough to be responded to in that way."
He warned that the animal may die.

"The prognosis is poor for this animal and the chances are that it is wounded, or distressed, or sick.
"So I am afraid I think people have got to prepare themselves that this animal may well not survive.''

A flotilla of four boats has been around the whale during Friday to protect it from other shipping.
Tony Woodley, from the British Divers Association, said he was concerned as the whale was a deep sea species not used to shallow water.
The association had volunteers trained to deal with whale strandings and a rescue boat at the ready.
Although he said the appearance of blood in the water might not be as serious as it looked, he also warned that the whale might not survive the ordeal.
The animal's delicate skin which is prone to abrasions, combined with "very red blood", made even a very small injury produce a large amount of blood, "and it could look possibly worse than it actually is" Mr Woodley said.

Options
Two options available were refloating the whale back to deep water, which he described as very tricky, or putting it down.
"The other option is if the vet is of the opinion that the animal isn't going to survive...that we would actually put it down.''
The size of the animal would make any rescue difficult.

The curator of London Aquarium, Paul Hale, said: "This is a very active swimming animal and it's not going to go anywhere it doesn't want to go so we have to persuade it to swim back out.
"I think it's going to be a tricky time for the guys that are dealing with it."
The Zoological Society of London sent its marine mammal veterinary pathologist, Paul Jepson, to the banks of the Thames to assist with the rescue.



Thames whale amazes and intrigues
By Alex Kleiderman
BBC News

Published: 2006/01/21 11:21:13 GMT

The rare sight of a whale in the Thames in central London brought crowds - and the world's media - out to the banks of the river.
Hundreds of onlookers watched in wonder as the northern bottle-nosed whale, an endangered species, swam in the river on Friday.

"I've never seen a whale before and never thought I'd see one on the Thames," said David Bracegirdle.
The art tutor, who spent several hours taking pictures, said it was "impressive" but he was concerned for the animal's safety.

The crowds continued to gather as the 16-18ft (5m) long whale swam past the landmark of the Houses of Parliament to Albert Bridge in Chelsea, followed by rescuers in boats.

Cheers
As news of the unusual sighting spread more than 300 people lined the banks of the Thames to get their glimpse of the mammal in what it is believed to be the first such sighting in a century.
As the whale surfaced every four or five minutes, spouting water from its blowhole, cameras clicked and cheers went up.

Accountant Shameen Khan was on a shopping trip on New Bond Street when she got a call from her friend telling her a whale - her favourite animal - had been spotted in the river near to his Chelsea home.
"I thought I should go and see it but I then got in a taxi and was heading somewhere else," she said.
"I then thought, 'You just live your life. You've got to come and see that whale'."


I have never seen a whale before. It's not something that happens too often in London.
Louise Keen


Louise Keen took an extended lunch break to follow the whale's journey from central London on her bike, stopping at the bridges along the way to get a better view.
The medical school administrator said: "I heard about it on the news when it was at Westminster Bridge and thought I'd go to see if I could head it off.
"It nearly got beached at Albert Bridge and a guy jumped in the water and had to push it back out.
"He got people to clap and stamp on the bridge to encourage it."
Ms Keen added: "I have never seen a whale before. It's not something that happens too often in London."

'Particularly bizarre'
Builders working on plush riverside apartments by Chelsea Embankment downed tools and peered over scaffolding to get a birds eye view of the event.
Carpenter Richard Howart was down at the riverside.
"I thought I'd come down and have a look," he said. "I've seen it come up, popping up for air.
"I've seen whales in sea life exhibits in Florida but never anything like this."
But even those who have experienced whales in the wild could not help being impressed by the Thames whale.

Vincent Petersen said he found the situation "particularly bizarre".
"In November I was out in New Zealand to do some whale watching among other things.
"We saw a couple of whales there but never got as good a view as of the one I've seen in London," he said.




Fears for health of Thames whale
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/4633878.stm

Published: 2006/01/21 17:59:20 GMT

The condition of a whale stranded in the River Thames has worsened which has scuppered plans for it to be released into the open sea.
The 18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale was placed in a special pontoon in shallow water near Battersea Bridge.

It was then tethered close to two boats and towed to a barge which is heading for the river estuary.
Experts hoped it could be let out into deep waters but the plan now is to release it off Whitstable in Kent.

If the whale is too weak experts may take the decision to put it down.
Tony Woodley from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which is leading the rescue operation, said the vet on the barge was "pessimistic" about the whale's chances.

The vet had told him the animal was suffering muscle stiffening and was under stress due to what it has gone through and being out of the water.

"The plan was to go round at least to the English Channel before it was released, but now it is just get as far out of the Thames as possible," he said.

"We have the awful trade off of far out we can take it and how long we can keep it out of the water."

A BDMLR spokesman said the barge should reach the a location known as "Shivering Sands" 15 miles off the coast of Whitstable from 2100 GMT to 2130 GMT.

A sighting of the whale on Saturday morning near Albert Bridge, in Chelsea, disappointed rescuers buoyed by an earlier report that it had been seen in Greenwich, which is closer to open water.

But as the rescuers moved the whale applause broke out among the 3,000 onlookers some on Battersea Bridge, which had been closed, as the whale passed beneath.

It is on an inflatable raft which is functioning as "makeshift whale mattress" on which it is being constantly watered down and monitored by experts.

It has been given several injections including antibiotics and earlier a vet on board the barge said the whale's had sustained cuts and its breathing was irregular.

Mark Stevens, from BDMLR, said lifting the animal onto the barge had "gone like clockwork" but it was the "scariest thing I've ever done in rescuing whales".

The whale, which could weigh about four tonnes, was first spotted at 0830 GMT on Friday by a man on a train and has since attracted massive public and media attention.

It soon became clear there was cause for concern, as the animal came within yards of the banks, almost beaching, and crashed into an empty boat, causing itself slight bleeding.

There were reports of a pod of whales in the Thames estuary earlier in the week, and it was possible that the whale had become separated from this group.

There was also an unconfirmed sighting of a whale in Southend in Essex on Friday.

It was the first sighting of the endangered species in the Thames since records began nearly a century ago.

In an unrelated incident, what is thought to be a harbour porpoise was found dead on the banks of the Thames in Putney, south-west London, on Saturday afternoon.


Lost whale dies after rescue bid

BBC News
Saturday, 21 January 2006, 23:45 GMT

A whale that became stranded in the River Thames has died after a massive rescue attempt to save its life.
The 18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale was first spotted in the river on Friday and rescuers began an attempt to save it on Saturday morning.

But the whale died at about 1900 GMT on Saturday as rescuers transported it on a barge towards deeper water in the Thames Estuary.
It was moved after being placed in a special pontoon near Battersea Bridge.

Alan Knight, from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) which led the rescue operation, said the animal died after it began to convulse while it was still on the barge.

See how they harnessed the whale
"It has been a helter skelter ride all the way through. It is a sad end to a very long day," he said.
"Basically this is probably the right thing to happen in the end.
"If it had continued in this way we certainly wouldn't have released it.
"Perhaps this has saved that very difficult decision."

Earlier, close to Battersea Bridge, thousands of onlookers applauded as rescuers placed the whale on to a pontoon to move it from shallow water.
It was winched on to the Port of London Authority barge where it was laid on an inflatable raft functioning as a "makeshift whale mattress".

As the whale was carried upstream towards the estuary a vet administered antibiotics.
Earlier, naturalist and television presenter, Terry Nutkins, said the rescue operation was the wrong thing to do and that the animal needed space.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: "It wouldn't It wouldn't know what was happening, it was surrounded by boats...it would have been absolutely terrified as well as being stressed because it wouldn't be used to noises of propellers or engines.

"It was kept...like a goldfish in a bowl. So, it doesn't surprise me that it's died."
However, he later concluded he had "no doubts" the rescue operation had been the best way to try to save the whale.

Pod spotted
"You can't leave a whale stranded in the Thames and we did the best we could," he added.
The whale, which could weigh about four tonnes, was first spotted at on Friday morning by a man on a train.
There were reports of a pod of whales in the Thames estuary earlier in the week, and it was possible that the whale had become separated from this group.
It was the first sighting of the endangered species in the Thames since records began nearly a century ago.




Dead whale examined by experts
BBC News
Sunday, 22 January 2006, 04:40 GMT

The body of a whale that died after becoming stranded in the River Thames is to be examined by marine experts.
An attempt to transport the 18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale back to deeper water in the Thames Estuary ended on Saturday with its death.

Thousands of onlookers lined the river to watch as the mammal was put on a special pontoon at Battersea Bridge and then onto a barge.

It finally died from natural causes at 1900 GMT after suffering convulsions.

Tony Woodley, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), said hopes the whale would survive initially rose after it was lifted onto the barge, but it quickly became clear its survival was in doubt.

'Absolutely terrified'
"It is such a shame, and I know that so many people in the UK and around the world have been watching this," he said.
The whale was being taken to Shivering Sands off the north Kent coast, where rescuers had hoped to release it back into the sea.
This plan had already been scaled down from an earlier one to transfer it to an "ocean-going vessel" and take it to deep water off the south coast.

As the whale had been carried upstream towards the estuary a vet administered antibiotics and it was constantly splashed with water and covered with a blanket in a bid to keep it alive.

Earlier, naturalist and television presenter Terry Nutkins said the rescue operation was the wrong thing to do and that the animal needed space.
He told BBC Radio Five Live: "It wouldn't know what was happening, it was surrounded by boats...it would have been absolutely terrified as well as being stressed.

"It was kept...like a goldfish in a bowl. So, it doesn't surprise me that it's died."
However, he later concluded he had "no doubts" the rescue operation had been the best way to try to save the whale.

Pod spotted
The operation is likely to have cost BDMLR up to £100,000.
The whale, which could weigh about four tonnes, was first spotted at on Friday morning.
There were reports of a pod of whales in the Thames estuary earlier in the week, and it was possible the whale had become separated from this group.
It was the first sighting of the endangered species in the Thames since records began nearly a century ago.

Sonar threat to world's whales

Secret naval exercises lead to deaths of thousands of giant mammals worldwide. Stricken whale in Thames dies after dramatic attempt to return it to the ocean

By Geoffrey Lean, Cole Moreton and Jonathan Owen
Published: 22 January 2006

Secret sonar from naval ships is killing thousands of whales around the world and could have disoriented the two-ton mammal that died last night after becoming stranded in the Thames, an investigation by The Independent on Sunday has established.

The northern bottlenose whale died despite dramatic attempts at a rescue witnessed by thousands of people on the banks of the river, and millions on television. The whale was lifted on to a barge and carried down the river, in the hope that it could be taken to the open sea. But its condition deteriorated, it began to suffer muscle spasms, and it died before anything further could be done.

Experts believe that the whale's senses could have been damaged by military sonar. Some 30 strandings and deaths of whales around the world - from Tasmania to North America - have been linked to its use. The United Nations and other international bodies have warned that it is a major threat to the animals.

The investigation has also revealed that - in a separate, but deeply embarrassing development - the Government faces being hauled before the European Court for failing to take enough care of the whales and dolphins around Britain's shores.

Professor Hal Whitehead of Dalhousie University in Canada - acknowledged to be the world's leading expert on northern bottlenose whales - said yesterday that he had never known the deep-ocean species to wander so far from its habitat.

"It would be unusual, and cause concern, for one to be found in the North Sea or English Channel, let alone a long way up a pretty shallow river," he said. "Its nearest habitat would be south-west of Cornwall. We know that beaked whales - the group of species to which the northern bottlenose whale belongs - are particularly sensitive to underwater noise. There has been a lot of seismic activity off northern Scotland and in the North Sea, and I understand that the Royal Navy exercises frequently."

Many strandings and deaths of whales and dolphins have been linked to sonar surveys in recent years (see table). In March 2000, for example, whales of four species beached themselves in the Bahamas after a battle group from the US navy used sonar nearby. A US government investigation established that they had been affected by the sonar. Since then, the area's population of Cuvier's beaked whales has virtually disappeared; investigators conclude that they have either abandoned the area or died at sea.

The Washington-based National Resources Defence Council says that more than 30 such incidents have been linked to sonar use around the world.

Last week, a US court discovered that the US government had cut references to the effects of naval sonar from a report on the stranding of 37 whales in North Carolina a year ago, shortly after military manoeuvres.

Strandings in Britain have more than doubled in the past decade, from 360 in 1994 to 782 in 2004, and vets believe that the number of whales that wash up on shore are only one-tenth of those that die, suggesting that there are thousands of casualties.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has started legal proceedings against Britain for failing adequately to monitor the health of whales and dolphins in its seas.

Strandings: Sonar takes a deadly toll

JAPAN 1990: Six whales die after US Navy tests sonar

GREECE MAY 1996: Twelve Cuvier's beaked whales stranded on the west coast of Greece as Nato sweep the area with sonar.

CANARY ISLANDS JULY 2004: Fourteen whales beach during Nato exercises involving sonar. Strandings in 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991 and 2002 all coincide with naval exercises.

AUSTRALIA NOV 2004: Seventeen whales die in Bass Strait; 50 get stranded 300 miles away; 165 whales and dolphins later found dying. All coincide with sonar activities and seismic surveys.

US JAN 2005: Thirty-nine whales die after US Navy uses sonar in waters off North Carolina.

US March 2005 : Eighty dolphins beach as US Navy sub trails sonar off Florida Keys; 30 die.

TASMANIA OCT 2005: More than 110 pilot whales die; Australian Navy admits to using sonar.

NEW ZEALAND DECEMBER 2005: About 120 pilot whales die in the country's largest beaching for 12 years.

Experts examine Thames whale for cause of death By Steve Connor Science Editor
Published: 23 January 2006

It will be several days before marine biologists can identify the cause of death of the northern bottle-nosed whale that captured the heart of the nation when it swam up the Thames in London at the weekend.

The whale died on Saturday night after rescuers tried to carry it into deeper waters on a salvage barge.

The Zoological Society of London said it hoped that the results of a post-mortem examination on the 18ft carcass would be available by Wednesday. Paul Jepson, a marine biologist, and his colleague Rob Deavill, who performed the autopsy said blubber samples were being analysed and the "echo response" areas of the brain, were being studied to try to find out whether the animal had become disoriented.

Tony Woodley, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue group, said the decision to move the whale was correct, despite the outcome: "We believe that if the whale had been left how it was then it would have slowly died and we don't think that option was acceptable."

A spokeswoman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which was also involved in the rescue effort, said the "outpouring of emotion" should now be directed at saving whales elsewhere in the world. "Tragically, it's too late for this whale, but another 1,000 whales are currently in the sights of Japanese whaling vessels. Whales around the world face deadly threats - from whaling by Japan, Norway and Iceland, pollution and habitat destruction, and increased noise in the ocean," she said.

" We're calling on people to write to Tony Blair to let him know how much they care about whales and ask him to make a strong protest to whaling nations."

It will be several days before marine biologists can identify the cause of death of the northern bottle-nosed whale that captured the heart of the nation when it swam up the Thames in London at the weekend.

The whale died on Saturday night after rescuers tried to carry it into deeper waters on a salvage barge.

The Zoological Society of London said it hoped that the results of a post-mortem examination on the 18ft carcass would be available by Wednesday. Paul Jepson, a marine biologist, and his colleague Rob Deavill, who performed the autopsy said blubber samples were being analysed and the "echo response" areas of the brain, were being studied to try to find out whether the animal had become disoriented.

Tony Woodley, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue group, said the decision to move the whale was correct, despite the outcome: "We believe that if the whale had been left how it was then it would have slowly died and we don't think that option was acceptable."
A spokeswoman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which was also involved in the rescue effort, said the "outpouring of emotion" should now be directed at saving whales elsewhere in the world. "Tragically, it's too late for this whale, but another 1,000 whales are currently in the sights of Japanese whaling vessels. Whales around the world face deadly threats - from whaling by Japan, Norway and Iceland, pollution and habitat destruction, and increased noise in the ocean," she said.

" We're calling on people to write to Tony Blair to let him know how much they care about whales and ask him to make a strong protest to whaling nations."

5 Pilot Whales stranded in Golden Bay, New Zealand

Whales stranded again in Golden Bay
Jan 16, 2006

Another pod of whales has beached itself on the same stretch of Golden Bay that was the site of a mass stranding before Christmas.

The pod of five pilot whales was spotted on the beach near Puponga Bay on Monday morning.

DOC's Community relations programme manager Greg Napp says by the time Department of Conservation staff got to the site there were only four whales on the beach and three had already died.

Napp says the one remaining whale was able to be refloated and sent out to sea.

The latest stranding is the third in the past month. On New Year's Eve 49 whales died after becoming beached near the tip of Farewell Spit. Eight died naturally, while 41 others were shot by DOC staff as it was considered too dangerous to attempt their rescue.

On December 20, 129 whales stranded on Puponga Beach. Rescuers were eventually able to refloat and save about 100 whales.

No more whales stranded
16/01/2006 17:04:03


There have been no sign of any more whales stranding after Department of Conservation staff successfully re-floated a single surviving pilot whale from a group discovered beached in Golden Bay this morning.


Four whales were found beached at Puponga this morning.


They were near the scene of last month's large stranding. DOC spokeswoman Trish Grant says three of the mammals were dead by the time rescuers got to them but the fourth managed to swim free.


Boats in the area report no sign of more whales heading towards Golden Bay.



Three whales die after stranding
17 January 2006
By TOM FITZSIMONS

More whales have stranded near Farewell Spit, on the northwestern tip of the South Island.


Conservation Department staff raced to Taupata Point yesterday morning after a member of the public reported a pod of five pilot whales had beached there.

When DOC staff arrived, three of the whales were dead and one had disappeared – possibly having refloated itself. Eight DOC workers and local volunteers were able to refloat the remaining whale, which began to swim strongly out to sea.

DOC rangers checked the water for other whales, but found none. The three dead whales, none of which were fully grown, – would be disposed of after consultation with local iwi, a DOC spokeswoman said.

Taupata Point is two kilometres south of Puponga, where last month hundreds of people worked to refloat more than 100 pilot whales after a mass stranding.

A week later 49 pilot whales, believed to be from a separate pod, were shot after stranding at the inaccessible tip of Farewell Spit.

Those whales were left to decay, – more than half being washed out to sea.

Golden Bay DOC community relations officer Greg Napp said it was unclear if the whales were from either of the pods that stranded last month. It was still difficult to understand why they continued to beach in Golden Bay, he said.

"There are tonnes of theories floating around. Some people think they get chased in by predators such as orca.

"Another theory is that when some get sick they strand themselves because they're too tired to swim."

The shallow shelving beaches of Golden Bay and jutting landforms such as Farewell Spit could also be reasons for the strandings, he said.

It was possible the whales were "just trying to swim in a straight line across Cook Strait" when they came upon the land, he said.


Weather blamed in whale strandings

18.01.06 1.00pm


Experts say the run of whale strandings in Golden Bay may be connected to weather patterns.

The latest stranding, on Monday, resulted in three long-finned pilot whales being left to decompose on Farewell Spit.

Mammal collection manager for Wellington's Te Papa Museum, Anton van Helden, said scientists were unsure what caused whales to strand but believed it could be related to weather patterns.

A Tasmanian study showed there was a local correlation between mass strandings and weather cycles, he said.

Individual strandings happened all year round but mass strandings tended to occur around New Zealand during November, December and January, when the sea was warmer, he told the Nelson Mail.

The whales could be driven in while on the hunt for seasonal food, or to give birth, or it could be that one or two animals in a pod were ill and drew the remainder of the mammals inshore, he said.

Meanwhile, overseas experts said a snowstorm might have contributed to the death of nine whales and 24 dolphins after becoming stranded on Cape Cod in Massachusetts last year.

And the United Nations and marine experts said naval manoeuvres and submarine sonars in oceans are a new factor among many threatening dolphins, whales and porpoises that depend on sound to survive.

Researchers found that a stranding in the 1990s of 12 Goosebeak whales in the Ionian Sea, around Greece, coincided with Nato tests of an acoustic submarine detection system.

Other Goosebeaks were stranded off the Bahamas in 2000, and experts linked that to military tests.

Tests on the bodies of seven whales that died near the Canary Islands in 2002 found haemorrhages and inner ear damage, which experts said was caused by high-intensity, low-frequency sonar used in the area.

In Tasmania, disease, the drive to stay with a sick pod member, and confusing underwater topography were all theories regularly put forward to explain the heartbreaking sight of beached whales dying lingering deaths on Australia's beaches.

Animal welfare organisations have been lobbying for years to restrict military sonar, which is used to locate submarines and other underwater objects.

They have documented dozens of cases of mass whale strandings and deaths around the world that they say are associated with sonar blasts, which are thought to disorient marine mammals and can cause bleeding from the eyes and ears.

- NZPA

1 Humpback Whale washes up on Cape Island, near Charleston S.C.

Dead Humpback Whales washes up on Cape Isl.

Thursday,January 12, 2006

Cape Island - The carcass of an endangered humpback whale has washed up on one of the state's most remote stretches of beach. Researchers are still trying to determine its cause of death.

The whale's location made for a difficult day's work for National Ocean Service biologist Wayne McFee.

"We were very limited ... it took us an hour and a half to walk to the animal today with all our gear," McFee said. "We couldn't come from the beach and had to get to it from the back side of the island, and there's a big marsh back there."

The humpback's enormous, bloated carcass was first reported floating on the open ocean 18 miles offshore from Charleston on Saturday. Pushed by southerly winds, the creature eventually drifted north and washed up on a beach in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

When McFee and biologists Dean Cain, Lauren Beddila and Leslie Burdett reached the animal, they found a 45-foot, 9.5-inch-long female that had likely been floating dead for at least a week. Female humpbacks can reach up to 52 feet in length, so it was likely that this whale was a young adult, McFee said.

With the tide rising and daylight fading, the team only had time to take basic measurements, gather samples of skin and blubber and a make quick cutaway examination of the left side of the whale's skull. These early measurements only determined that the whale did not die by fishing line entanglement or a blow to the head from a passing ship.

"There were also a number of shark bites, and I was wondering if that or a collision killed the whale. But we didn't see any evidence of that," McFee said.

A further examination of the humpback today should help determine whether a ship might have impacted the whale's body, or if the animal died of disease, perhaps. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesperson Blair Mase said that, as of Wednesday, there was no indication that the Navy was conducting any sonar exercises that might have damaged the whale's hearing and led to its death.

McFee added that the animal was so badly decomposed that the cause of her demise might never be determined. Because humpback whales are listed as an endangered species, researchers typically try to conduct thorough examinations on any dead ones that wash ashore.

"The location of where it is is just not good for trying to get pieces and parts out of there," he said, "We won't even be able to move the head."

Contact Chris Dixon at cdixon@postandcourier.com or 745-5855.


Scientists say humpback whale died after hitting ship

Associated PressCHARLESTON, S.C.

- Scientists say a humpback whale that washed up this week on a remote section of the South Carolina coast apparently died after being hit by a ship.
The whale's carcass was first reported about 18 miles off Charleston last weekend. It washed up later on Cape Island at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
Scientists conducted a necropsy on Thursday.
"There were multiple fractures to numerous ribs, shards of bone spread through the body," said Wayne McFee of the National Ocean Service's marine mammal stranding program. "That's what did her in, we're pretty sure."
The humpback whale is an endangered species. There are now an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 humpback whales which were driven nearly to extinction a century ago by whalers.


Biologists: Humpback whale died from collision with ship

(Charleston-AP) January 13, 2006 - Biologists say a humpback whale that washed up on the beach in Charleston County died after being hit by a ship.
Wayne McFee with the National Ocean Service says the whale suffered numerous broken ribs and there were bone shards throughout the animal's body.

The 45-foot whale was found on Cape Island on Wednesday. Biologists who examined the badly decomposed whale Wednesday say it was likely a young female.

The body had been seen floating about 18 miles off Charleston last Saturday.

McFee says the necropsy, photographs and other evidence will be reviewed by humpback whale experts.

Four ocean service biologists and two College of Charleston students performed the necropsy.

Posted 7:40am by Bryce Mursch

6 Pilot Whales beached between Foxton and Waitotara, New Zealand

Dead whales washed up
10.01.2006
By LAUREL STOWELL laurel.stowell@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
DOWNWIND of a dead whale the stench can be pretty powerful. Conservation Department staff and beachgoers have been discovering this on the Wanganui coast and beyond. Six whales have beached on the coast between Foxton and Waitotara during the past few days.

There was one at Foxton, one at Himatangi, two at Turakina Beach, one just north of Kai Iwi Beach and another near Waiinu.

There is speculation the deaths may be linked to a pod of 49 pilot whales that beached at Farewell Spit on New Year’s Eve. Some died and the rest were shot to end their suffering, because they could not be saved.

Their bodies had been blown off the spit by around January 3.
One piece of evidence linking that stranding with recent finds is that the whale found at Foxton had a bullet hole visible near its blowhole.

Yesterday the Chronicle accompanied DoC staff to two long-finned pilot whales that stranded about 1.6km south of Koitiata during the past few days.

Vivienne McGlynn, DoC’s Palmerston North biodiversity manager, said the two 4m whales were dead when they were washed ashore. Both had large bites taken out of their undersides, probably by sharks or killer whales.

The male whale looked whitish because he had lost most of his skin. His penis was sticking out – a rare sight for human eyes.

The sex of the other whale wasn’t known, and it still had most of its skin.

The two whales would be buried further up the beach this morning. Before that Maori who were authorised by Rangitikei iwi Ngati Apa would be able to take bones or teeth for carving.

South Taranaki iwi Nga Rauru should be asked for permission to take material from whales beached from Kai Iwi northward.

Samples taken, dead whales buried
10 January 2006
By JILL GALLOWAY

The Department of Conservation (DOC) yesterday took samples and measurements from two pilot whales that washed up dead at Turakina Beach and then buried them.


DOC biodiversity manager Vivienne McGlynn says a total of four whales have washed up on area beaches during the past few days and the department believes all are from the pod that beached at Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island a little over a week ago. "They were dead when they washed up and we think they had been attacked by sharks or perhaps orcas after they'd died," she says.

Mrs McGlynn says the department does not know the cause of the deaths. "Some of the whales refloated at Farewell Spit were perhaps not strong enough to survive and may have died at sea."

DOC took samples of teeth and skin, which will be sent to Auckland University. Measurements and other information will go to the national museum Te Papa.

Mrs McGlynn says whales are protected under the marine Mammals Act and it is illegal to take any part of the animal, even when it is dead.

There is a hefty fine for anyone taking any part of a whale illegally, she says. "There are proper procedures and people can talk to the appropriate iwi."

Mrs McGlynn says she believes the teeth and bones of pilot whales are not sought after by Maori for carving.

Maori did take pieces of the whale that washed up at Himatangi Beach at the weekend, but the one at Foxton Beach was buried immediately and the two at Turakina have been buried intact, she says.

DOC only buries washed-up whales if they are near human settlements.

"It's quite possible more whales will wash ashore on the beaches in Manawatu and Wanganui and if people see any, we'd like them to ring DOC as soon as possible," Mrs McGlynn says.

5 Common dolphins stranded at Mayo Beach, Cape Cod

January 1, 2006

Dolphin strandings sour end of 2005
By SEAN GONSALVES
STAFF WRITER
WELLFLEET - Volunteers and staff members of the Cape Cod Stranding Network were busy on the final weekend of 2005, as they've been all year.

Yesterday, network members euthanized a common dolphin discovered by volunteers on Lieutenants Island, according to network coordinator Kristen Patchett.
''When we arrived, the dolphin was showing signs of being in shock. We ended up euthanizing the animal at about noon,'' she said.

Patchett said the dolphin was likely part of the same group of dolphins that had beached themselves at Mayo Beach on Friday afternoon.
Those four dolphins, she said, were not in shock and appeared to be relatively healthy when they were found.

The dolphins were transported on a flatbed truck to Provincetown, where their dorsal fins were tagged with an orange marker before they were released at Herring Cove.
The five dolphin strandings over the weekend, Patchett said, capped off a busy year. The Cape Cod area averages about 205 strandings year - from whales to dolphins.
This year network members were called to 315 strandings, Pachett said.
Though stranded sea animals can give scientists a sense of the health of the ocean, Patchett said strandings are common occurrences on the Cape going back thousands of years, and yesterday's strandings should not necessarily be seen as a cause for alarm.
However, Patchett said, ''if people find stranded marine mammals on the beach, they should not try to return them to the water but call our hotline.''

The hotline number is 508-743-9548.

Sean Gonsalves can be reached at sgonsalves@capecodonline.com.

(Published: January 1, 2006)






____________________________________________________

49 Pilot Whales stranded, Farewell Spit New Zealand

41 stranded whales shot in N.Z.
Jan. 1, 2006. 08:41 PM


WELLINGTON, N.Z. (AP) — Wildlife officers shot 41 pilot whales that beached on New Zealand's South Island, the Department of Conservation said.
A total of 49 whales came ashore Saturday near Farewell Spit in the second major stranding in the area within two weeks. Eight died on the beaches and the remaining animals were shot when heavy seas prevented any attempt to refloat them.

"Given the hopelessness of being able to successfully refloat the whales, our prime concern was then to avoid the whales' suffering a long and painful death," Greg Napp, the department's Golden Bay area officer, said in a statement.
Napp said the latest stranding was likely unconnected to another last month when 129 pilot whales came ashore close by.

Conservation officers and volunteers managed to refloat more than 100 in that stranding but 21 whales died.
Mike Rogers, a Department of Conservation worker, said the whales that beached Saturday were not thought to be from the pod involved in the larger stranding Dec. 20.

"There have always been strandings at Golden Bay," he said, noting the tide goes out as much as 6.5 kilometres and the animals ``get trapped on this gentle sloping beach."

Stranded whales shot dead in NZ
Dozens of stranded pilot whales have been shot dead in New Zealand to end their suffering when it was ruled too difficult to get them back in the sea.
The department of conservation said any attempt to refloat the whales would be too dangerous for the humans involved and would probably not have worked.

The whales were stranded on a beach near Farewell Spit, on the north-western tip of the South Island.
More than 100 whales were freed from the same area about two weeks ago.

These latest stranded whales are not thought to have been from the same pod.
The latest whales were stranded further out on the spit than the previous group, meaning that any rescue attempt could have resulted in people being swept out to sea.
Eight of the whales died within hours of being stranded, the New Zealand Herald reported. Another 41 whales were shot to end their suffering.

"Given the hopelessness of being able to successfully refloat the whales, our prime concern was then to avoid the whales having a long and painful death," said a conservation department spokesman, Greg Napp, quoted by the paper.

Scientists are not sure what causes whales to beach themselves.

DOC says whale strandings strange

Jan 2, 2006

The Department of Conservation says it is strange that two different pods of whales have beached themselves around Golden Bay within the past fortnight.
21 pilot whales died when they were stranded on Puponga Beach a few days before Christmas.
Another eight died on Saturday in a second stranding near Farewell Spit, and DOC was forced to kill the other 41 mammals, as conditions were too rough to refloat them.
DOC's Golden Bay acting area manager, Greg Napp, says the whales are attracted to Golden Bay because of the sheltered waters.
Napp says it was difficult to shoot the whales, but it was important to put them out of their misery.

Source: RNZ