Mass whale stranding New Zealand

[Kismit]

Mass whale stranding at Farewell Spit

WARREN GAMBLE

More than 400 pilot whales have stranded at Farewell Spit in Golden Bay.

Can you see the stranding? Send your newstips, photos and video to newstips@stuff.co.nz

DOC Golden Bay operations manager Andrew Lamason said latest reports were that an estimated 70 per cent of the 416 whales had died overnight.

Link

[Claire.]

That is beyond tragic. I wish I hadn't looked at the video. Watching the whales struggle was heartbreaking and I'm really hoping that the rescue effort is as successful.as possible.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

That's horrible and heartbreaking

 

[Kismit]

It sure is.

[seeder]

its on our BBC news..... what a shame for the dead and dying ones..... hope they can manage to re float as many as possible

[Kismit]

Sadly this mornings headline is not very positive 

100 whales re-strand at Farewell spit

I don't think I have ever seen a stranding this large before. It just seems so many.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

Do they know what caused the stranding?

 

[Kismit]

No idea. Whale strandings are not really understood yet. But if I had to guess based on current facts and information, it's probably something to do with the American election. 

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

[sees]

47 minutes ago, Daughter of the Nine Moons said:

Do they know what caused the stranding?

 

Here are some possible causes

http://www.whalefacts.org/why-do-whales-beach-themselves/

[Kismit]

This is a little on the 'woo' side I admit, but I think it would be remiss not to mention this as a discussion point.

There is a school of thought that mass whale strandings and earthquakes are linked.

It's to do with the change in the electromagnetic fields interfering with the whales echolocation.

Link

I remember there was a minor whale stranding 3 or 4;days before the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch. 

Link to 2011 stranding

Edited February 11, 2017 by Kismit

[Clarakore]

That particular beach has a problem with this. Perhaps they can figure out how to warn the whales with sonar or something? Glad they got 100 of them back out to sea.

[Kismit]

The 100 beached again this morning. The spot is a jutting peninsula at the opening to very rough water, (Cook straight). Perhaps sonar would work, but it's not proven as a cause or cure at this stage. 

Edited February 11, 2017 by Kismit

[Still Waters]

This is on the BBC news site this morning -

Quote

The mass stranding of whales on a remote beach in New Zealand has taken a turn for the worse as 240 more arrived.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38942763

As if it wasn't bad enough before 

There's more info in this link -

Quote

The new pod was comprised of about 240 whales, according to the Associated Press.

In total, more than 650 pilot whales have beached themselves in the last two days along a 3-mile stretch of coastline on a remote place called Farewell Spit, which lies at the tip of the South Island, AP said.

About 335 of the whales have died, 220 are still alive but stranded, and 100 are back at sea.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/whale-rescuers-disheartened-new-pod-beaches-new-zealand-n719731

 

Edited February 11, 2017 by Still Waters
Additional source link

[sees]

On the BBC news, it was said that some of the ones that were helped to return to the sea, just turned around and came back to shore!  This indicates there is something seriously disturbing them in the water i.e. at that close vicinity too unless it is to do with their memory of what made them beached in the first place!!! 

[GlitterRose]

I know I can't stand to watch the video. That said, there have been questions about sonar and whether it affects them and causes beaching. Of course, no one wants to admit that might be the problem.

[sees]

1 hour ago, ChaosRose said:

I know I can't stand to watch the video. That said, there have been questions about sonar and whether it affects them and causes beaching. Of course, no one wants to admit that might be the problem.

Well the Navy did own up to it in 2000. 

From wikipedia..." The large and rapid pressure changes made by loud sonar can cause hemorrhaging. Evidence emerged after 17 cetaceans hauled out in the Bahamas in March 2000 following a United States Navy sonar exercise. The Navy accepted blame agreeing that the dead whales experienced acoustically-induced hemorrhages around the ears."

With the sheer scale of whale deaths this time, surely there will be an investigation into this possibility, e.g. internal injuries would indicate this.

[GlitterRose]

Just now, sees said:

Well the Navy did own up to it in 2000. 

From wikipedia..." The large and rapid pressure changes made by loud sonar can cause hemorrhaging. Evidence emerged after 17 cetaceans hauled out in the Bahamas in March 2000 following a United States Navy sonar exercise. The Navy accepted blame agreeing that the dead whales experienced acoustically-induced hemorrhages around the ears."

With the sheer scale of whale deaths this time, surely there will be an investigation into this possibility, e.g. internal injuries would indicate this.

If it causes that, no wonder they're fleeing and beaching themselves. 

[sees]

2 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

If it causes that, no wonder they're fleeing and beaching themselves. 

Well there ARE other causes, e.g. see my post above # 10, but the sheer number makes it look suspect to me. 

I wonder what becomes of all that dead whalemeat....sold to the Japanese?   At least that would mean it wouldn't be wasted but then this presupposes that the whalemeat isn't contaminated.

[GlitterRose]

Just now, sees said:

Well there ARE other causes, e.g. see my post above # 10, but the sheer number makes it look suspect to me. 

I wonder what becomes of all that dead whalemeat....sold to the Japanese?   At least that would mean it wouldn't be wasted but then this presupposes that the whalemeat isn't contaminated.

I keep telling people it's the end of the world, but no one's paying attention to me. 

[sees]

2 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

I keep telling people it's the end of the world, but no one's paying attention to me. 

Well we are certainly undergoing massive upheavals, i.e. big changes.  Nature has a way of showing her rebellion to what we do to her.

[Grandpa Greenman]

  How sad, very sad.  I hope they find out why.  

[Professor Buzzkill]

Interesting that a 5+ earthquake hit the area (a few hundred kms south) where the whales stranded today

[Aitrui]

Might be a coincidence, but the worlds largest seismic blasting ship is currently blasting away just off the east coast of New Zealand. The whale meat will definately not be sold to the Japanese or anyone! No need to create a market for whales which beach themselfves. Carcasses will be studied,

[seeder]

Quote

 

Miracle as 240 pilot whales refloat themselves in the middle of the night after becoming stranded at the same beach 300 others have died on this week

    240 whales have refloated themselves back out to sea after becoming stranded at Farewell Spit on Saturday
    The pod beached themselves around 5pm but were carried back out to sea at high tide at 11pm
    They are the most recent pod of pilot whales to become stranded on the New Zealand coastline
    More than 400 pilot whales were discovered beached in the same area on Friday morning, but 300 died  
    Volunteers worked to keep whales alive as they were able to refloat 80 of the 100 surviving whales   

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4215724/240-pilot-whales-refloat-beached-Farewell-Spit-New-Zealand.html#ixzz4YQb4f7jx