Over 400 Whales Died After Stranding In New Zealand
Over 400 Whales Died After Stranding In New Zealand
Every year, whales wash up on Farewell Spit in New Zealand, and becoming stranded there, die. But over the weekend a pod of more than 650 whales washed up on that shore, and only about 250 managed to return to the ocean alive. The cleanup efforts have been intense.
Every year, whales wash up on Farewell Spit in New Zealand, and becoming stranded there, die. But over the weekend a pod of more than 650 whales washed up on that shore, and only about 250 managed to return to the ocean alive. The cleanup efforts have been intense.
On Friday, February 10th, a pod of more than 650 pilot whales stranded on the shores of Farewell Spit in New Zealand. Thanks to heroic rescue efforts by professionals and volunteers alike, 250 of those whales made it back safely into the ocean. Sadly, 400 did not.
Now, continuing cleanup efforts are attempting to move the dead whales' carcasses over a mile to nearby sand dunes where their bodies can decompose without harming tourism, excavators and dump trucks, which could carry up to fifteen whales each, to the dunes. According to Andrew Lamason, operations manager for New Zealand's Department of Conservation:
There is nothing attractive about these whales after they have been on the beach for a few days. All their internal organs have exploded. The skin has peeled off. The smell is unbelievable. Unbelievable.
Andrew Lamason
New York Times, February 13, 2017
That's right. The whales' internal organs can explode. Officials actually issued a warning about exploding whale carcasses which might explode due to gas buildup during decomposition. To help prevent this, many volunteers had to puncture the dead whales to allow gas to escape. But it hasn't all been matter of fact for the hundreds of people trying to help the whales.
Many became emotional about the loss of the whales, and several local Maori representatives offered a karakia, or prayer, for the deceased whales, and volunteers poured water on living whales and sang to them to keep them cool.
So, now, what we would like to know is...
Do you think there should be more focus on wildlife conservation?
Do you think there should be more focus on wildlife conservation?
Any other thoughts? Talk to us about them in the comments below, and share with your friends to see what they think!