Concern is growing at the plight of around 80 pilot whales which have become stranded off a remote British beach.
A team of volunteer rescue workers gathered on a beach on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, but all they could do was watch.
The pod was first spotted in Loch Carnan on Thursday. On Saturday night one of the whales was stranded in the loch and was later found to have died.
The whales have floundered in shallow inland waters, occasionally bashing themselves against the rocks, causing cuts and injuries to about a quarter of them. Blood has been seen pouring from head wounds.
The rest of the whales, which measure up to 35ft in length and weigh up to 3 tons, remain in deep water in the loch, dashing hopes that they had left for the open sea.
We are incredibly concerned; they are by no means out of the woods,” said Alistair Jack, who is in charge of the rescue effort. “If we entice them away they will go somewhere else and strand. We just have to play this out naturally. With so many injured, it isn’t ethical to herd them somewhere else to die.”
What drove the whales, who normally live out at sea, into Loch Carnan’s treacherous waters is not clear.
Pilot whales at risk of being stranded on Scottish beach
They are confused, stressed and bloodied; their chances of survival still in the balance. The pilot whales remain at risk of becoming stranded on a Scottish beach.
By Robert Mendick
22 May 2011
The Telegraph
Concern grows over a possible mass stranding of up to a hundred pilot whales on a Scottish beach Photo: GETTY
Remote South Uist in the Outer Hebrides
For the team of volunteer rescue workers gathered at a remote stretch of coast on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, all they could do was play a waiting and watching game.
Since Thursday afternoon, the pod of whales have floundered in shallow inland waters, occasionally bashing themselves against the rocks, causing cuts and injuries to about a quarter of them. Blood has been seen pouring from head wounds.
On Saturday night one of the whales became stranded in Loch Carnan, where the pod was first spotted, and was later found to have died.
The rest – each up to 30ft long and weighing 3.5 tons – remained in deep water in the loch, despite earlier hopes they had left for the open sea.
Rescue workers took up positions on high ground overlooking the sea and lochs, watching their progress through powerful binoculars, their task made harder by driving rain and heavy winds which reduced visibility.
Marine experts bring ashore a dead pilot whale from the pod continuing to struggle in Loch Carnan
A fisheries protection vessel, lent by the Scottish government, was being kept at a safe distance for fear of making the whales more stressed. Meanwhile about 20 volunteers had last night received emergency training in how to treat beached whales - by keeping them cool and wet - and how to get them back into the sea should the worse case scenario play itself out.
Inflatable pontoons have been sent to South Uist should the whales become beached.
“We are incredibly concerned; they are by no means out of the woods,” said Alistair Jack, who is in charge of the rescue effort. “If we entice them away they will go somewhere else and strand. We just have to play this out naturally. With so many injured, it isn’t ethical to herd them somewhere else to die.”
What drove the whales, who normally live out at sea, into Loch Carnan’s treacherous waters is not clear. Local fishermen have speculated that the abundance of octopus and squid might have acted as enticement but it is also possible a sick whale had swum to the shore and the rest of the tight-knit pod had simply followed.
The loch was scene of another near stranding as recently as October - normally such incidents are incredibly rare. On that occasion the whales swam away from the coast only to be discovered a few days later on a remote beach on Rutland Island off Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Thirty three whales died then - there was nobody at hand to help them off the beach - and rescue workers were last night deeply fearful of history repeating itself.
Treacherous: Loch Carnan, South Uist
“They have displayed exactly the same behaviour as those that subsequently stranded in October and that is what worries us,” said Dave Jarvis, director of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, the charity coordinating the rescue. “The weather is horrendous; the rain is horizontal. It is not ideal for those of us trying to rescue the whales.”
Mr Jarvis said the pilot whales’ skin is “very delicate and comes off quite easily when they scrape against rocks”. Mr jarvis added: “When they do get an injury, it looks very bad, very gory. Their blood is very red because of the high concentration of haemoglobin.”
Mr Jack said last night: “About 20 of these whales have suffered terrible injuries, caused by cuts on rocks. The topography of the loch prevented them from standing because it has steep shorelines and a wide open mouth to sea.
“If they swim into a narrower loch with shallow beaches they could easily strand. We could then have a real disaster on our hands.”
telegraph.co.uk
A team of volunteer rescue workers gathered on a beach on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, but all they could do was watch.
The pod was first spotted in Loch Carnan on Thursday. On Saturday night one of the whales was stranded in the loch and was later found to have died.
The whales have floundered in shallow inland waters, occasionally bashing themselves against the rocks, causing cuts and injuries to about a quarter of them. Blood has been seen pouring from head wounds.
The rest of the whales, which measure up to 35ft in length and weigh up to 3 tons, remain in deep water in the loch, dashing hopes that they had left for the open sea.
We are incredibly concerned; they are by no means out of the woods,” said Alistair Jack, who is in charge of the rescue effort. “If we entice them away they will go somewhere else and strand. We just have to play this out naturally. With so many injured, it isn’t ethical to herd them somewhere else to die.”
What drove the whales, who normally live out at sea, into Loch Carnan’s treacherous waters is not clear.
Pilot whales at risk of being stranded on Scottish beach
They are confused, stressed and bloodied; their chances of survival still in the balance. The pilot whales remain at risk of becoming stranded on a Scottish beach.
By Robert Mendick
22 May 2011
The Telegraph
Concern grows over a possible mass stranding of up to a hundred pilot whales on a Scottish beach Photo: GETTY
Remote South Uist in the Outer Hebrides
For the team of volunteer rescue workers gathered at a remote stretch of coast on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, all they could do was play a waiting and watching game.
Since Thursday afternoon, the pod of whales have floundered in shallow inland waters, occasionally bashing themselves against the rocks, causing cuts and injuries to about a quarter of them. Blood has been seen pouring from head wounds.
On Saturday night one of the whales became stranded in Loch Carnan, where the pod was first spotted, and was later found to have died.
The rest – each up to 30ft long and weighing 3.5 tons – remained in deep water in the loch, despite earlier hopes they had left for the open sea.
Rescue workers took up positions on high ground overlooking the sea and lochs, watching their progress through powerful binoculars, their task made harder by driving rain and heavy winds which reduced visibility.
Marine experts bring ashore a dead pilot whale from the pod continuing to struggle in Loch Carnan
A fisheries protection vessel, lent by the Scottish government, was being kept at a safe distance for fear of making the whales more stressed. Meanwhile about 20 volunteers had last night received emergency training in how to treat beached whales - by keeping them cool and wet - and how to get them back into the sea should the worse case scenario play itself out.
Inflatable pontoons have been sent to South Uist should the whales become beached.
“We are incredibly concerned; they are by no means out of the woods,” said Alistair Jack, who is in charge of the rescue effort. “If we entice them away they will go somewhere else and strand. We just have to play this out naturally. With so many injured, it isn’t ethical to herd them somewhere else to die.”
What drove the whales, who normally live out at sea, into Loch Carnan’s treacherous waters is not clear. Local fishermen have speculated that the abundance of octopus and squid might have acted as enticement but it is also possible a sick whale had swum to the shore and the rest of the tight-knit pod had simply followed.
The loch was scene of another near stranding as recently as October - normally such incidents are incredibly rare. On that occasion the whales swam away from the coast only to be discovered a few days later on a remote beach on Rutland Island off Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Thirty three whales died then - there was nobody at hand to help them off the beach - and rescue workers were last night deeply fearful of history repeating itself.
Treacherous: Loch Carnan, South Uist
“They have displayed exactly the same behaviour as those that subsequently stranded in October and that is what worries us,” said Dave Jarvis, director of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, the charity coordinating the rescue. “The weather is horrendous; the rain is horizontal. It is not ideal for those of us trying to rescue the whales.”
Mr Jarvis said the pilot whales’ skin is “very delicate and comes off quite easily when they scrape against rocks”. Mr jarvis added: “When they do get an injury, it looks very bad, very gory. Their blood is very red because of the high concentration of haemoglobin.”
Mr Jack said last night: “About 20 of these whales have suffered terrible injuries, caused by cuts on rocks. The topography of the loch prevented them from standing because it has steep shorelines and a wide open mouth to sea.
“If they swim into a narrower loch with shallow beaches they could easily strand. We could then have a real disaster on our hands.”
telegraph.co.uk