Dozens of pilot whales stranded in Florida Keys
Date: 22-Apr-03
Country: USA
Rescuers said seven of the sleek, black mammals, which travel in large groups and weigh as much as 1,800 pounds (871 kg), had died since an estimated 31 wandered into shallow waters off Big Pine Key, one of the string of islands at Florida's southern end, south of Miami.
The reasons for the beaching by the whales were unknown, according to Dr Janet Whaley of the National Marine Fisheries Service. "Perhaps they were chasing prey, or the leader took a wrong turn," Whaley said. "They are very cohesive."
Mass strandings or beachings by pilot whales are not unusual and have been recorded for centuries. Last July more than 40 pilot whales repeatedly beached themselves on the coast of Massachusetts.
Social and noisy, communicating with whistles and clicks, pilot whales generally feed and travel in groups of five to 50. They are common along the northern Atlantic coast of North America and are not considered endangered.
In Florida, government and volunteer rescue workers traveled by boat from nearby Cudjoe Key several miles (kms) offshore to where the whales were stranded and draped them in towels and sheets to prevent sunburn. They were being fed purified water and an anti-dehydration mixture for children.
Whaley said government workers were assessing the condition of the whales in an attempt to determine which could be returned to open waters and which may have to be put down.
"Logistically, all this is difficult. These are not small animals; they can be as long as 17 feet (five metres)."
(Additional reporting by Michael Connor in Miami).
