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Strandings/Rescue News
Dolphins rescued at Cudgen Creek
(Added: 07 February 2010)
The dramatic rescue attempt of two bottlenose dolphins in Cudgen Creek recently almost ended in disaster when one of the mammals became entangled in a net, however there was a happy ending. Several divers swam to the dolphin's aid and slowly brought the distressed animal back to shore to ensure it had not been injured.
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Third mass stranding in New Zealand
(Added: 25 January 2010)
Over the weekend, rescuers in New Zealand managed to refloat 33 pilot whales that had beached themselves, back out into deep waters. 15 other whales died.
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Rare whale carcass found
(Added: 20 January 2010)
The carcass of a Blainville's beaked whale, usually seen in deep waters near the equator, has been discovered on the shore of Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, south-western Japan. The 5 metre whale was found dead with what appeared to be numerous shark bites, its skeleton will be used as a teaching resource for children.
Five whales die after rare beaching in Italy
(Added: 12 December 2009)
Five sperm whales have died after nine beached themselves off Italys' southern coast in a highly unusual event in Mediterranean waters. The whales, measuring up to 10 metres long, were found stranded off the coast of Puglia, four were already dead and another died later.
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Sperm whale found dead off Scotland
(Added: 01 November 2009)
A large sperm whale was found dead recently on a beach near Donald Trump's Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. Sperm whales strandings are relatively rare in the area, records show that 1989 was the last time a large number of whales beached themeselves - 26 deaths that year alone.
Whale dies from dehydration
(Added: 13 October 2009)
The Northern bottlenose whale recently found dead on a Welsh beach (UK) is believed to have died of dehydration and kidney failure, possibly after losing its way while returning to the North Atlantic. Strandings of this particular species is becoming more common around the UK coastline. Samples from the whale have been sent away for research and analysis but could take months to reach a final decision about its death.
Dead humpback whale in River Thames
(Added: 15 September 2009)
A juvenile male humpback whale has been found dead in the River Thames near Dartford Bridge, Kent, (UK) the first ever to be stranded in the river. Initially spotted off Gravesend, it was thought to be a minke whale, but no further sightings were reported until the animal was found dead. It was subsequently recovered by a Port of London Authority (PLA) patrol boat and after a postmortem examination, it was discovered the animal had died of starvation. Once whales get into the river system it is very difficult for them to get out again.
Mass pilot whale stranding
(Added: 15 September 2009)
Nearly 50 pilot whales have died after stranding themselves on a beach in the southern Argentinean province of Chubut. The reasons for the beachings are not understood yet.
Humpback attacked by killer whales
(Added: 15 September 2009)
A badly scarred juvenile humpback whale recently washed up on one of Perth, Australia's most popular beaches, believed to been attacked by a pod of killer whales. The seven-metre male, struggled for a while but after going back out to sea, it eventually stranded again and died. It had probably been migrating north when attacked.
Whale body to be used for fuel
(Added: 03 September 2009)
The body of a dead minke whale washed up at Cold Knap, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan (UK) beach recently is to be turned into bone meal to be used as fuel for power stations. The whale carcass will be transported to Dorset by animal and cattle experts Frome Vale, who have experience in disposing of marine life across the south and west regional coast lines.
Dead dolphins appear on Uruguay beach
(Added: 20 August 2009)
Approx 20 dead Fraser's dolphins were recently found dead on a beach in Uruguay, South America however the cause of death is not clear. Being a species that is normally found in warmer waters, the animals may have become disoriented or were carried there by changing water currents. Fraser's dolphins are found mainly in deep waters in the Pacific Ocean and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
Beaked whales die on Florida beach
(Added: 11 August 2009)
Rescue workers tried to help a beaked whale and her calf that recently ran aground, just north of Miami. The mother whale died and the calf was euthanised because it would not have survived without its mother.
Rescuers save stranded dolphins
(Added: 23 July 2009)
Three dolphins, believed to be white beaked dolphins were helped back to deeper water after becoming stranded in shallows in a bay on Grimsay, North Uist, the Western Isles recently. Two younger dolphins in the same group were swimming freely in shallow water.
The rescue ended successfully.
Second stranding since 1800
(Added: 23 July 2009)
A putrefied whale that washed ashore on Poonthura beach, Kerala (India) recently was identified as the rare Bryde's whale. Records of marine mammal sightings and strandings in the country from 1800 has registered only one earlier stranding of Bryde's whale in the southwest coast. Identification of the whale was difficult, not only because of the putrefied condition, but also because of the damaged upper jaw. Presence of three ridges in the upper jaw is what identifies a Bryde's whale but scientists successfully identified the animal through the analysis of DNA samples.
Baby porpoise found on beach
(Added: 07 July 2009)
A baby harbour porpoise found stranded on a beach recently on Dovercourt Bay, Harwich (UK) had to be put down. It is thought the calf had been seperated from its mother for quite a few days as it was malnourished and couldn't support itself in the water.
What caused the mass stranding in Cornwall?
(Added: 16 June 2009)
A report just released in relation to the mass stranding of a pod of dolphins found around the Percuil River in the Fal Estuary, Cornwall in 2008 has found no definitive reason as to why the animals beached themselves. All 26 dolphins later died.
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Dolphin washed up on beach
(Added: 15 June 2009)
The body of a white beaked dolphin was washed up on the UK coast recently, off Crimdon beach, east Durham where each year, it is fairly common for two or three dolphins or porpoises to be found. The 4ft-long mammal was thought to have been of juvenile age. Officials from the Natural History Museum removed the body to research the cause of death.
Rare beaked whale washed up
(Added: 31 May 2009)
A rare Andrews beaked whale has been found dead on Australia’s South Coast. Its skeleton will go into the Australian Museum in Sydney for study. This particular beaked whale species is thought to be found only in Australia and New Zealand.
Blue whale washes up on remote coastline
(Added: 31 May 2009)
A massive, 27m blue whale has been found washed up on a remote beach on the north-west Nelson coast, New Zealand. There have been only 14 other known strandings of blue whales in New Zealand.
Lake proves problem once again for dolphins
(Added: 17 May 2009)
For the second time in seven months dolphins have become stranded in a man-made lake in Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. This second incident involving a mother dolphin, her week old premature calf and one year old sibling, has resulted in calls for the entrance to the lake to be barricaded to protect vulnerable wildlife.
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Pygmy killer whale stranding
(Added: 12 May 2009)
Hundreds of people flocked to Ulladulla's Beach, Illawarra,Australia recently for a glimpse of a Pygmy Killer Whale. The animal washed up already dead but with it being considered a naturally rare species, many people still flocked to the area. Its skull was sent to the Australian Museum but the fact that it had very worn teeth all indicates that it was a fully-grown adult whale that most probably died of natural causes. They are found in tropical and sub-tropical waters worldwide but rarely seen in the wild and are mostly known through strandings and net entanglements.
Second whale found dead
(Added: 29 April 2009)
Another gray whale has been found dead in Birch Bay - the second gray whale to be found dead in Puget Sound, (northwestern part of Washington) within hours of each other. A sick whale had been seen in the area for a month and one of the whales had tooth rakes on its pectoral fin which indicated it had been attacked by orcas at some point. The exact cause of death remains unknown. There are estimated 10 to 12 gray whales that come to Puget Sound every year.
Further whale deaths
(Added: 26 March 2009)
Six whales that became stranded in southwest Australia just a day after being rescued from another beach have died. Vets had to shoot three of them, while the others died naturally.
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Stranded baby dolphin found dead
(Added: 18 March 2009)
A baby dolphin which was rescued after becoming stranded with its mother in Dundee, Scotland has been found dead. It is “highly likely" that it was the same calf which was a common dolphin, which despite its name is rarely seen near the shore of the east coast of Scotland. An examination found that it had several small pieces of wood in its stomach.
Tazmania mass whale stranding
(Added: 02 March 2009)
A team of more than 150 people worked for hours recently in an effort to save a pod of about 200 pilot whales and seven bottlenose dolphins which beached themselves on Naracoopa Beach, King Island, northwest of Tasmania. The rescuers tried their best to keep the whales hydrated with wet bedspreads, blankets and towels but 140 animals have already died.
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Wayward whale euthanised
(Added: 01 March 2009)
There has been a sad ending to the story about a whale languishing in the waters off Whangaparoa Peninsula, north of Auckland. After observing the rare gray's beaked whale for about three weeks, the decision was made that the whale's condition had deteriorated to the extent that it should be euthanised. These particular whales usually hunt squid deep in the ocean, and it is unusual for them to be seen close to shore unless they are dead or dying.
Stranded dolphin release
(Added: 22 February 2009)
Ginger, the bottlenose dolphin that stranded in December 2008 near Siesta Key, was released recently in her home waters of Sarasota Bay, Florida following a complete recovery. She had been treated for pneumonia and gastro-intestinal problems and had been under the care of a veterinary team and volunteers who monitored her recovery around the clock. Before release, the dolphin was equipped with a tracking device so researchers can monitor her movements.
Beaked whale stranding
(Added: 29 January 2009)
The public are being asked to keep an eye out for the calf of a rare Gray's whale found washed up on a Kapiti Coast beach, New Zealand. The 4.8-metre whale was pregnant with a 20cm foetus but it appears she may also have been nursing a calf as there was milk discharging from her mammary gland. The whale's head and foetus were taken to Te Papa for further study as part of a national project to find out more about the anatomy and skulls of New Zealand's Gray's beaked whale population. The rest of the animal was buried. Te Papa which is based in Wellington has the world's largest collection of beaked whales.
Mass whale stranding in Tazmania
(Added: 25 January 2009)
Despite rescuers very best attempts for more than two days, the last of 48 sperm whales stranded in Tasmania died. By the time the pod, which were trapped on a sandbar 150 metres offshore from Perkins Island on the northwest coast of the island state of Tasmania was discovered, most had already perished.
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