Five Rescued Whales Swim To Freedom

by Patricia Collier

Five pilot whales that had beached themselves in shallow water off the Florida Keys four months ago are swimming in wild waters once again.

The five whales were part of a group of 28 that had stranded themselves about 12 miles from shore. Experts said they still don’t know the reason for the beachings, but some of the whales were showing signs of age. Of the original group, eight died, six had to be euthanized and nine others were able to swim away on their own.

The four remaining adult whales and one yearling were nursed back to health by 1,000 volunteers. After being hand-fed fish and given medical attention for several months, the whales were judged fit for release, and were taken back to the sea on August 10.

Each whale was coaxed into a sling and lowered by crane onto a boat. The animals were then taken to the continental shelf, an area where pilot whales frequently swim, and placed head first into the water.

"The youngest, a yearling male, started squealing as it was tipped down toward the water," said Rick Trout, director of animal care at the Marine Mammal Conservancy.

"You could just tell, this was not a distress call, this was exciting," Trout said. "This was a little kid getting excited."

Since then, scientists have been tracking the group via radio and satellite monitoring devices attached to their dorsal fins.

The location of four of the whales is still known, but the fifth whale’s signal was lost on the second day and has not been retrieved since. Experts speculated that she might be swimming along with the calf, or with a couple of the other whales.

The baby was recently reported to be close to the shore off Vero Beach, while two of the other whales are moving along at an even rate and the fourth whale is picking up some speed, heading away from Cuba.

Officials are hoping all five will eventually join a nearby pod of pilot whales spotted 27 miles off shore.

Laura Engleby, a marine biologist for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, said two vessels, the 150-foot Newfoundland Express and a shrimping boat from the Florida Panhandle, will follow the mammals for two weeks.

At present, neither vessel has reported seeing the fifth, missing whale.

"They [the boats] are equipped to capture a whale if it has problems and take it to shore," Engelby said.

When asked how the crew had felt upon the whales’ release, Denise Jackson, stranding coordinator for the Florida Keys Marine Mammal Rescue Team said, "We all cried."

"You feel relieved they all made it out there," she said. "It’s successful, it’s great. But it’s a very mixed emotion."

The whales’ progress can be tracked online at www.marinemammalconsv.org/masswhale.html.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.