Something weird happens to us humans when we hear about stranded whales or dolphins. We want to help in their recovery, we follow their stories, their progress. We know intuitively that the state of their health relates to the health of the planet.
On Sunday, September 2, five pilot whales, out of a group of 22 that beached themselves on a Fort Pierce beach, were rescued. They were taken to Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Beach Institute for rehab.
“They’ve all been through a pretty stressful ordeal. We’ve seen each of them, at one point or another, have a little bit of trouble and need a little bit of help,” said Dr. Michelle Davis, senior veterinarian for SeaWorld Orlando.
The five survivors have only minor injuries. One of them, a whale under the age of two, was still nursing from its mother, who didn’t survive. They are being fed fish smoothies through feeding tubes every four hours. The hope is that they can be strengthened to the point where they can make the two-hour journey to Sea World in Orlando.
I have mixed feelings about Sea World. If these whales go into the enclosed tank, it means they will never again see natural sunlight or breathe natural fresh air. It means they will become tourist fodder, it means nothing good for the whales. But because they are so large, perhaps the whales will be placed elsewhere.
These creatures are wild. Unpredictable. Probably smarter than we are. If you were a whale, would you want to be at Sea World? Would you want to live out your life in a carefully controlled tank? Would you want to do tricks just because your trainer said that you should?
While I think it’s admirable that Sea World has agreed to take these creatures as they are recuperating, remember that the facility is for profit, a part of Disney, whose tentacles reach everywhere.
And, now that we are on the brink of full deployment of this unexamined force, will the American public awaken in time to make the connection,check its validity, and if there is a connection, stop the madness? Or,will we remain drugged by our usual denial and the silence of fear and apathy as we have during other holocausts at human hands, enabling yet more government crimes against nature and others as well as ourselves?
It is the Military doing “Sonar Testing” in the Oceans!!!! There are several
petitions circulating to stop this “WAR ON THE INNOCENT CREATURES
OF THE SEA” I AM ASHAMED AN APPALLED THAT ANYONE WOULD
SAY THESE WAHLES DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES!!!! OUR MILITARY
IS BECOMING A DISGRACE!!! THEY RAPE FEMALES OFFICERS, THEY
SAW OFF LIVE GAOTS LEGS FOR TRAUMA TRAINING, THEY POISON
PIGS AND OTHER ANIMALS DURING WEAPONS TESTING AND TO TOP
IT OFF THEY ARE TERRORIZING AND EXPLODING THE INSIDES OF
THESE MAJESTIC INTELLIGENT BEINGS OF THE SEA!!!!! I AM SAD
THE HUMAN RACE DOES NOT HAVE THE “REASONABLE INTELLIGENCE”
THAT WOULD SUPPOSSEDLY SET HIM ABOVE THE ANIMAL KINGDOM!!!
WHY DON’T WE USE OUR ABILITY TO REASON??????????? IT IS NOT
REASONABLE TO CAUSE THIS SUFFERING!!!!!! YOU ARE LYING TO THE
PUBLIC AND YOU HAVE “ARCHAIC METHODS” WHICH DESTROY THE
PLANET AND THE ANIMALS INHABITING IT!!!! YOU ARE THE FACE OF
SHAME ON OUR NATION!!!!
Oh no…I didn’t mean AUTEC was a small synchro…I meant my THINKING about AUTEC when I read the post was a “small synchro”. I agree….AUTEC is a scary, scary
place. Who knows what really goes on there!
it’s really sad to think we’re getting to a stage where captivity may be the only way of protecting a species…
Whales should be free. This was emphasised to me when I saw a 65ft fin whale washed up on a local beach – doesn’t normally happen. The whale was still alive and you could sense his intelligence, just his size showed how whales should be swimming free in the oceans of the world.
A small synchro, Rob and Trish: I thought of AUTEC as I initially read this post early today. Who knows what is going on under there? I hope the movie ABYSS was art imitating life, and that there are benign civilizations and entities deep within the oceans that can assist the creatures. And perhaps assist we foolish humans, if we would but pay attention!
I’m convinced that anything connected with AUTEC is NOT a small synchro.
so sad to hear of and to see – no captivity as far as i’m concerned – unless and only unless – the creatures cannot survive on their own – and i agree that there are so many global changes that the oceans must be impacted in ways we can only imagine and that the underwater sonar testing has to impact the sea creatures – how could it not –
I signed a petition recently regarding huge proposted underwater sonar and weapons testing by the navy. It was estimated that this would decimate many whales, dolphins, etc. I suggest that this kind of activity has a lot to do with what is going on.
I signed that, too. I wonder if petitions do any good?
The secret navy base Autec is about 100 miles southeast of Fort Pierce on Andros Island. They are conducting underwater sonar tests on a regular basis that can mess up the sonar of whales and dolphins. Maybe they are increasing the intensity now.
Good point, Rob.
We have to take the time zones into account, too. There have been turtles AND dolphins beaching themselves on our beach several times in recent days. The FL Game and Wildlife folks try to save them, but rarely succeed. Something going on in the oceans? I do know the temperature of the sea water is higher than it’s been since records have been being kept, which is why the Greenland ice sheet melted as it did. Some of these exquisite creatures can’t endure warmer water….and, some of their food supplies are affected by the warmer water. Lots to consider, and so sad. Our own human food supply is under serious shortages due to the unprecedented droughts that compromised the corn, etc. Corn is used in more items than we ever imagined, and the crops country-wide have failed this year. Globally, situations are grim in many
aspects. We surely must send as much light as we can to our Mother Earth. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic, but she is obviously in deep distress all around.
I see that the fort pierce whales came ashore on Sat 1 Sept…and the alarm was raised for Scottish whales in morning of Sun 2 Sept.
24 hours apart. Still very strange.
And yes…they were pilot whales which I discovered are, like orcas, really from the dolphin family.
Yes, exactly the same day. More pods were also in the area and at risk but fortunately no more stranded.
I need to read ore about pilot whales. Maybe there’s something about them that holds clues to what’s going on. It’s strange that two different groups, in different parts of the world, beach themselves on the same day.
They were released back into the sea and monitored in the hope that they would leave the firth of forth and head back out to the open sea. They apparently come into shallower water to fish for squid. Research will be carried out on the dead to try and determine the cause. I understand that if the leader is distressed or beaches itself ts normal for the rest to follow.
Hi guys
This is a strange synchro for me …on the same date last week 26 whales stranded on the beach at the edge of my village here in Scotland – it was all over the news and drew big crowds which saddened me in a way … But there were also lots of people working to save them and they rescued 10 pilot whales.
I regularly dream about whales and dolphins around my home and the dreams are generally tinged with concern for their welfare. It was strange to hear of this stranding – the first instance for the area as far as I’m aware.
I too have been wondering about the meaning and message associated with all of this. Pilot whales are apparently the most common stranders…
Vicky
Hi guys
This is a strange synchro for me …on the same date last week 26 whales stranded on the beach at the edge of my village here in Scotland – it was all over the news and drew big crowds which saddened me in a way … But there were also lots of people working to save them and they rescued 10 pilot whales.
I regularly dream about whales and dolphins around my home and the dreams are generally tinged with concern for their welfare. It was strange to hear of this stranding – the first instance for the area as far as I’m aware.
I too have been wondering about the meaning and message associated with all of this. Pilot whales are apparently the most common stranders.
Vicky
Wow, same day?? And pilot whales! Were the rescued whales taken anywhere?
This is sad and very frightening. These magnificient creatures are giving up on life – a very bad omen for the rest of us. As for putting the survivors in tanks – that is just grotesque. A further indication how out of touch we are to the natural world. They should be released back into the wild. But kudos to all the kind people who work hard to save them – I believe that comes from the heart.
I can see not releasing animals if their injuries would prevent them from living normally – like some of the manatees at sea world. But I really dislike the idea of captive anything.
This is so tragic. But…..I honestly have a sense that when a species of animal that is indiginous to a particular area or environment and it leaves that environment in droves like these whales, something is happening to their environment. Could it be the hurricanes, the earthquakes, what? Something IS happening. And keeping them captive if they survive would be a travesty. Simply horrid.
I saw this story and thought the same thing Trish. I hope that they release them to the wild .
I also wondered again at why this is happening. I don’t remember stories like this when I was growing up. There were whales that were beaching themselves on Cape Cod around the same time. I believe that something man made is going on. Messing with sound waves or something.
Thanks for bringing attention to this.
I don’t remember stories like this either. It’s troubling to see this happening to these magnificent creatures.
I agree, it really disturbs and worries me.
Does Megan have any insight? She seems to be connected to them.
I’ll ask her. Not too long ago, seaworld had a really tragic accident – when a whale killer one of the trainers.