View Full Version : Whale stranding today 22/07/2011
Tugmistress
22-Jul-11, 21:24
Went over to the Kyle of Durness, fair size pod of Long Finned Pilot Whales with a few stranded right inside the Kyle.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/251681_250059511689925_100000576340844_961432_1805 453_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/251681_250059515023258_100000576340844_961433_2211 944_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184274_250060885023121_100000576340844_961437_7494 216_n.jpg
Tugmistress
22-Jul-11, 21:26
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184274_250060888356454_100000576340844_961438_5457 774_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184274_250060891689787_100000576340844_961439_7290 384_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284056_250061318356411_100000576340844_961443_2895 360_n.jpg
Pretty amazing fotos....BTW....who are the people in the foto?? s
Tugmistress
22-Jul-11, 22:05
i have no idea who most of them are except i seem to recognise the guy with the bald head between the mum and calf, and audrey gunn from sspca balmore at mums head.
Just found out that about another 30 from the main pod have stranded on a small beach a little further up the Kyle where they were put for relative safety due to the tide going out :(
More info here (http://www.bdmlr.org.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=854&cntnt01pagelimit=15&cntnt01returnid=54)
Some years ago whilst off Bermuda, approx 600 miles East of New York in a 34 foot sailboat, we were surrounded by a pod and it was quite incredible.
Some were twice the length of our boat and some were quite a bit smaller, likely babies.
They stayed with us for quite a while, altho' we had concerns that they could surface under the sailboat, but they seemed quite contented to swim alongside, and I mean close, whilst they gave us a free shower.....
Truly wild beauty.....
We also had porpoises running at the bow several days in a row.
I am so glad that there are people who help...I understand 'Thumper' does that type of thing....again beautiful pics!
I take it the tides are quite substantial there?
Tugmistress
22-Jul-11, 22:19
It's an estuary so runs a bit wierd compared to coastal, the main problem is that after a few hours the whales bodies (which are not designed to be out of water) start to get damage from the muscle compression, a bit like we do with a crush injury, and this damaged muscle will start to produce toxins which when the reach the liver and kidneys will slowly poison the creature :( there is only a window of a few hours to get any 'fit' animals in to the water before the damage is irreversible :(
thumper has taken over as area co ordinator, a job i used to do a few years ago.
Mystical Potato Head
22-Jul-11, 22:21
i have no idea who most of them are except i seem to recognise the guy with the bald head between the mum and calf, and audrey gunn from sspca balmore at mums head.
Just found out that about another 30 from the main pod have stranded on a small beach a little further up the Kyle where they were put for relative safety due to the tide going out :(
More info here (http://www.bdmlr.org.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=854&cntnt01pagelimit=15&cntnt01returnid=54)
You probably recognise him from sea angling trips.He's been of doing training in whale rescue recently and once you do it you can be called up,kinda like the coastguard i suppose.
He was leaving work around lunchtime today,i thought he was on a halfer but he told me he had just got the call to go out,a very worthwhile thing to do.good on ya Mark.
Tugmistress
22-Jul-11, 22:25
Thanks MPH, that's where i know his face from :)
Just typed a long "story" on here.........just to have it totally disappear ....... [evil]
So I'll make it "smaller".........Fantastic photos; Love marine wildlife; Well done the "rescuers" ! ;What happened to them? :confused
Tugmistress
22-Jul-11, 23:29
It's still on the go, i reckon that all the people involved wont be home before lunchtime tomorrow.
Thanks Tuggs for the update !
Please keep us informed about these beautiful marine mammals...........we're all keeping everything crossed for a safe return to the sea for them.....
There was an interview with one of the rescuers, James Dyer, on the Today programme this morning
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9546000/9546063.stm
Also BBC News are asking for photos etc. - maybe for you Tuggs?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14251787
I'm sure many news programmes will be following the story.
Tugmistress
23-Jul-11, 10:51
just a quick update - been told some of the more recent strandings have been refloated so i assume the pod has managed to exit the Kyle, or i hope so anyway. Unfortunately in reality i would expect some of these will have sustained damage internally due to being on land for a while so it could possibly produce either another stranding or some fatalities washing up with the tide.
I would just like to add a huge well done to those that stayed out with them last night and did everything they could.
Happy Guy
23-Jul-11, 11:23
I would just like to add a huge well done to those that stayed out with them last night and did everything they could.
I would like to second that. You could see the huge amount of effort and dedication by those who had the knowledge to help, in what at times must have seemed an almost hopeless task. It was also easy to see that many were visibly distressed by the plight of these impressive animals, and their inablilty to help some of them.
Tugmistress
23-Jul-11, 17:15
Latest news is 25 dead, 45 back out in to open sea, volunteers are keeping an eye on the coastline but no sightings of the main pod that i know of so hopefully headed back out in to the atlantic.
Amazing fotos Tugmistress
Well done to all those guys and girls who help save those that they could.
oldmarine
24-Jul-11, 06:55
Whales do get stranded as we have viewed above. I have watched people all over the world trying to get them free and back into their habitat again.
Hi everyone, yes indeed I was in attendance at this stranding, I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all the locals and holiday makers who dropped everything to give us a hand. It was greatly appreciated and of great help to us all. Obviously, we can get intouch with people like the CG and Navy who helped out directly, but cannot get in touch with everyone who turned up and offered help, towels, sheets, blankets, buckets, etc. Without that help our job would have been even harder! I would also like to say a huge thank you to the owners of the Oasis in Durness for the amazing soup, sandwiches, tea, coffee, water, biscuits, etc. that they donated to keep us all fuelled up. It was very good of them! People's kindness and commitment shone out at this stranding, something we were all very grateful for! Finally can I end by putting in the link for the BDMLR website so that you can find out any more information if you are interested in what we do. Thanks again! x
http://www.bdmlr.org.uk
billy5000
24-Jul-11, 23:22
i popped along to see how they were doing and from what i was told and saw! the guys did a BANG UP job and i even gave a helping hand (small)but i feel its better than nothing! even if it was just holding onto two dead whales by the ropes so they didnt float away!
I didnt feel right getting pictures as i felt it was like dishonouring the dead!
nice work guys its a shame i couldnt do more but id be the first to offer if help is needed!
i have a rib and wetsuit and id be the first to offer if needed but i fear my 4-5man rib and 4hp motor might have been alittle underpowerd for the task but id still have tried!
and this i care about unlike another pointless news article!(whinehouse)
Dog-eared
25-Jul-11, 20:15
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9424000/9424166.stm
There was a military exercise on when the Durness strandings happened so the article above seems relevant.
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.