pilot whale

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Entire Pod of Pilot Whales Decimated in Mass Stranding
77 Whales Die
in Mass Stranding
Jul 12, 2024 2:30 AM CDT

77 Whales Die in Mass Stranding

The entire pod was wiped out in Scotland tragedy

(Newser) - In what may have been the worst mass stranding in Scotland since at least 1995, an entire pod of pilot whales was wiped out after being found stranded on a beach in the Orkney Islands Thursday morning. Of the 77 whales that came ashore, just a dozen initially survived, the...

In Australia Mass Whale Stranding, a Better Than Usual Outcome

More than 100 pilot whales returned to sea, while 29 died on shore

(Newser) - More than 100 long-finned pilot whales that beached on the western Australian coast Thursday have returned to sea, while 29 died on the shore, reports the AP . Ships and a spotter plane were monitoring the rescued whales in case they returned to shore, said wildlife officer Pia Courtis. "So...

97 Pilot Whales Gathered Tightly, Then Beached
In Australia, a Massive
Whale Tragedy Worsens
UPDATED
Jul 27, 2023 9:23 AM CDT

In Australia, a Massive Whale Tragedy Worsens

All 97 whales from beached pod are dead

(Newser) - Peter Hartley, a manager at Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions says it was one of the hardest decisions he has made in his 34-year career. The department says 45 long-finned pilot whales, survivors of a pod of 97 that beached themselves, were euthanized Wednesday to avoid...

Cruise Passengers Get a Gory Welcome to Port: the 'Grind'

Ship arrived in Faroe Islands as 78 pilot whales were being slaughtered, a centuries-old tradition

(Newser) - It's not a sight you especially want to see as your cruise ship pulls into port. But as Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambition approached Torshavn, the capital of Denmark's self-governing Faroe Islands, over the weekend, the water was red with blood, leaving passengers horrified. What happened on Sunday,...

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First
Mama Orca Adopted Baby
Pilot Whale, a First
new study
Feb 26, 2023 10:10 AM CST

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First

But the story may not be as cuddly as it appears on the surface

(Newser) - Researchers studying killer whales near Iceland spotted an unusual thing: An adult female orca was acting like a mother to a baby pilot whale. In fact, "unusual" is an understatement—it's the first such case on record, reports Insider . The young pilot whale was swimming right along side...

At 'Hell's Gate,' Hundreds of Stranded Whales Languish

Half the whales beached in Tasmania may still be alive, but rescue is 'complex'

(Newser) - Almost two years ago to the day, close to 400 whales died after washing up on the shores near Macquarie Heads, Tasmania, in one of the largest strandings ever recorded. Now, deja vu on the Australian island's west coast. Some 230 whales have been beached near the town of...

At Infamous 'Death Trap for Whales,' a Sad New Find

34 long-finned pilot whales found beached in mass stranding at New Zealand's Farewell Spit

(Newser) - Farewell Spit, a perhaps aptly named 16-mile stretch of sand on the remote northern end of New Zealand's South Island, is making headlines for sad news that's become commonplace there. The island nation's Department of Conservation reported on Friday that 34 long-finned pilot whales have been found...

Pilot Whales Have Tricky Way to Fool Enemies
Clever
Pilot Whales
Fool Their
Rivals
new study
Dec 7, 2020 10:50 AM CST

Clever Pilot Whales Fool Their Rivals

Study suggests they mimic killer whales

(Newser) - Pilot whales in southern Australia appear to have developed a nifty technique for fooling rival killer whales—they pretend they're killer whales themselves. Researchers studied the calls of long-finned pilot whales in the region and found that the creatures mimic their larger rivals, reports ScienceDaily . In their study at...

380 Whales Dead in One of World's Worst Strandings

50 were saved in Tasmania; hope remains for 30 more

(Newser) - There's more bad news from Tasmania, Australia, where 380 whales have now died in one of the largest strandings ever recorded, reports the BBC . Hundreds of long-finned pilot whales have been found stranded on sand bars in a few areas off the island's west coast since Monday. An...

Rescuers Rush to Save Hundreds of Stranded Whales

90 have already died off southern Australia

(Newser) - At least 90 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding off of Australia, and crews are racing to save another 180 from the same fate. The whales were found Monday at three sites off the west coast of the island state of Tasmania, which also saw the stranding of...

Dozens of Stranded Whales, a 'Heartbreaking Decision'

More than 140 pilot whales die after being stranded on New Zealand's Stewart Island

(Newser) - A hiker on a New Zealand island stumbled upon a distressing sight this weekend: dozens of pilot whales, dead on the beach after getting stranded there. Per the Guardian , the nation's Department of Conservation fielded a call Saturday from the hiker, who'd been camping on secluded Stewart Island,...

Little Mermaid Statue Doused With Paint ... Again

It appears to be a protest against hunting whales

(Newser) - Danish officials on Tuesday hosed down Copenhagen's famed Little Mermaid after the statue was found doused with red paint, the AP reports. On the ground in front of the statue was written in red, in English, "Denmark defend the whales of the [Faeroe] Islands"—likely a reference...

Amid Wave of Beached Whales, Finally Some Good News

More than 200 animals refloat themselves amid mass strandings on New Zealand

(Newser) - Whale lovers in New Zealand finally got some good news on Sunday after more than 200 stranded whales managed to refloat themselves overnight and swim away, while volunteers managed to save another 17 whales at high tide, reports the AP . More than 650 pilot whales had beached themselves along Farewell...

After Whales Refloated, a Devastating Setback

240 whales from new pod now stranded on NZ beach

(Newser) - A new pod of 240 whales swam aground at a remote New Zealand beach on Saturday just hours after weary volunteers managed to refloat a different group of whales following an earlier mass stranding . In total, more than 650 pilot whales have beached themselves along a 3-mile stretch of coastline...

'Utterly Heartbreaking' Scene on Remote Beach

400 whales stranded; New Zealanders scramble to rescue survivors

(Newser) - Volunteers are scrambling to rescue scores of whales after one of the worst strandings in New Zealand's history. About 275 of the pilot whales were already dead when magazine writer Cheree Morrison and two colleagues found them early Friday on Farewell Spit, a remote beach at the tip of...

Bubbles the Pilot Whale Dies After 30 Years at SeaWorld

She was in her mid-50s and had spent nearly her entire life in captivity

(Newser) - Bubbles, a short-finned pilot whale that lived at SeaWorld San Diego for nearly 30 years, has died, the AP reports. Bubbles was in her mid-50s when she died Thursday. A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of her death. Female pilot whales generally live to be about 60...

200 Whales Stranded on NZ Beach

Dozens already dead at notorious beaching spot

(Newser) - Nearly 200 pilot whales stranded themselves on New Zealand's South Island today, with hordes of rescuers rushing to the remote area in a bid to guide them back to sea. Two dozen of the 198 whales have already died despite efforts to save the creatures, which were found stranded...

More Whales Found Dead in Florida

Outlook bleak for stranding survivors

(Newser) - Sad news on the pilot whales stranded in the Everglades: Eleven more whales from the pod stranded in shallow water have been found dead and rescuers don't believe there's much hope of finding the other 29 alive, reports CNN . The group was last seen alive Friday, when it...

Fla. Officials Save 5 Baby Whales as 22 Beach

Baby whales taken to nearby ocean institute, but outcome still in doubt

(Newser) - Rescuers are trying to keep alive five baby whales, from a pod of 22 pilot whales that beached early yesterday near Fort Pierce, Fla., reports the Sun-Sentinel . An animal-rescue team from SeaWorld Orlando transported the survivors to a nearby oceanographic institute, while officials test the deceased whales to see why...

NZ Shoots 33 Whales It Couldn't Rescue

After 2 rescue attempts, officials say nothing more to do for restranded whales

(Newser) - The 33 pilot whales that beached themselves again on the New Zealand coast today have been shot, the AP reports, after conservation officials decided there was nothing more they could do for the creatures. About 99 whales were stranded Monday on a South Island spit notorious for whale beachings. Volunteers...

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