Strandings Whale enters an unusually close area along or on shore They usually swim hundreds of yards out from the beach AKA beaching itself Suicide attempt typically to end suffering What is a whale stranding ID: 223687
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Slide1
Whale
StrandingsSlide2
Whale enters an unusually close area along or on shore. They usually swim hundreds of yards out from the beach.
AKA “beaching” itself
Suicide attempt typically to end sufferingWhat is a whale stranding?Slide3
Possible threats that cause
strandings
?
Whales can end up on the shoreline either already dead or on the verge of dying.
Various
reasons
:
Disease
Hit by large vessel
Entanglement with large nets or fishing gear
Reduced prey
Harmful chemicals in the water
RANDOM CASE
-Orca or “killer whales” may launch themselves onto shore as a way of hunting seals or other animals basking on the shoreline.Slide4
Who Responds?
Stranding Response Team
-Decide what the next move is
- Potentially Euthanize or help the whale die
Maggie Lynott- Virginia Beach Response Team ManagerSlide5
Unfortunately usually whale needs help to die and must be euthanized.
Next Step:
A necropsy or animal autopsy is performed on the whale in order to find out more about its cause of death.
Whale is cut up
-organs and tissues extracted to be tested and then studied
What Happens Next?Slide6
Should we be worried?
Death of something so YES
Only SERIOUSLY worried if it is an Unusual Mortality Event
Unusual Mortality Event
- Unexpected stranding that involves a large portion of one species populationSlide7
Why am I so Curious?
One of these whale
strandings
happened while I was just playing on the beach as an eight year old
Experienced all of the below
W
hale struggle
Gradually find shore break
Response team showed up
Pull whale onto the beach
Huge Shot in whale – euthanized
Necropsy performed (NASTY!!)
Personal ExperienceSlide8
Whale in
Sandbridge
, Virginia Beach April 1st 2005Euthanized
Necropsy revealed: Whale was hit by a large
vessle
Caused fatal injuries
Not an unusual mortality event
Event that I thought was a once in a lifetime experience…Actually occurs commonly and happens in may places all the time
Sandbridge
Whale: OFT