Safety tips for rescuing whales
Recent years have seen an increase in mass strandings of whales, with New Zealand having the highest rates in the world. Stranding, whether of an individual animal or a mass, can be the result of old age, illness, injury, navigational error, or social bonding.
Most strandings occur in remote and unpopulated areas and go unreported. However, there are many success stories related to rescuing stranded whales. These rescue interventions represent a very serious risk for both the animal and the public.
Here are some safety tips to keep in mind when rescuing stranded whales:
1. Inspect the stranded animal from a safe distance to determine if it is distressed, in pain, or uncomfortable. It is important to keep people and dogs at a safe distance to avoid further stressing the animal.
2. Call an expert for help. Many countries have wildlife officers who are trained in how to handle stranding emergencies and who work closely with qualified veterinary officers. People like your local marine mammal stranding network or wildlife staff or police could help.
3. When reporting the stranded animal, be sure to tell the officer of any distress and describe what it would be. Let them know of any injuries, unusual physical activity, or sounds. Remember to give the exact physical location to make it easier for the rescue team to locate you.
4. Keep a safe distance from the animal. The animal may seem helpless, but it is still a wild animal that may instinctively hurt you to protect itself. A whale is a powerful animal that can seriously injure people if they wallow in the water. Also, the stressed animal can swish its tail and put you at risk of injury.
5. Avoid any form of contact with the animal as whales can carry many zoonotic diseases. But for whatever reason, if you do touch the whale, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.
6. It is important not to try to push the whale into the water without proper help. This could result in a new stranding which could lead to severe stress, injury and death.
7. For the safety of the animal, make sure the breathing hole on the top of the head through which the whale breathes is not blocked or under water. With the right help, you can gently roll the whale, which may be lying on its side, onto its belly to make sure the nostril is facing up.
8. It is advisable to constantly pour buckets of water over the whale’s skin while staying away from the blowhole. This helps keep its skin moist and cool while plans are made to return the stranded animal to the water.
9. If you have access to water-soaked burlap bags, you can cover the whale’s skin to protect it from drying out and protect it from sunburn. Be careful not to cover the blowhole and tips.
10. Stay with the whale until the rescue team arrives. They may need information about what happened on the scene prior to your arrival.
The purpose of helping stranded whales is to get them back in the water. You must follow the instructions of the experts, who have the necessary training to care for this type of animal. In some cases, it is possible to push the whale into the water, but you must be careful not to harm the animal.