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| The baby whale that was stranded at Surfers Paradise yesterday is reunited with its mother off the Gold Coast. Picture: Brendan Radke / Gold Coast Bulletin |
Strandedbaby whale back in the deep
Pictureshave shown a baby humpback whale reunited with its mother off the Gold Coast.
MARINEexperts say they are cautiously optimistic a baby humpback whale rescued in amarathon operation on the Gold Coast has survived and been reunited with hismother.
Director ofMarine Sciences at Sea World Trevor Long said a mother and calf filmed by TVchoppers today, a day after the rescue, could mean good news.
"Shortlyafter first light this morning, the Sea World rescue boat spotted a mother andcalf very close to the location where the rescued calf was last seenyesterday," he said.
"Asecond mother and calf were also located in the vicinity and with theassistance of the Nine News helicopter, Sea World was able to obtain vision ofboth sets of mothers and calves."
Aftercomparing colour markings, Mr Long ruled out the first calf.
While a positiveidentification for the second calf wasn't possible, it was very similar incolour to the rescued calf.
RelatedCoverage
- Gallery: Big baby, big rescue
- Scientists hope baby whale has survived - Herald Sun
- Hope for beached whale - Courier Mail
- Whale with mum 'not the same' - Courier Mail
- Whale and calf 'not the same one' - Perth Now
- Humpback calf 'not stranded baby' - Adelaide Now
"TheSea World team is cautiously optimistic that the calf was able to reunite withits mother overnight and continue its migration," he said.
"Wedid hear there was an animal down at Tweed Heads that was acting in a differentmanner to the other whales, and we were hopeful that may have been the mother.
"That'scertainly within communicating distance for these animals."
Mr Longsaid when it was returned to the ocean the calf was tired but in goodcondition, and it looked good even after becoming entangled in a shark net justoffshore.
It took aSea World team around half an hour to free the calf from the net.
"Whenit was fighting to get out of the shark net it had a lot of kick and a lot offight in it, so those indicators tell us it was reasonably strong.
"Andon the beach we could see it was quite robust and had wonderful responses andit did swim off reasonably OK, considering it had been on the beach for 12hours."
Interest inthe baby whale's fate has been intense, after several thousand people gatheredon Surfers Paradise beach to watch the rescue.
"Australiansseem to be very keen and passionate about whales," Mr Long said.
"I'mnot sure if it's because we're an island nation, but whales are at the core ofour marine animal values and we see that with the interest in the anti-whalingmovement.
"Andit's something we all should enjoy because they're beautiful animals and we'revery rich to have them come past our coast."
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Volunteerssuccessfully drag a beached baby humpback whale back into the ocean at SurfersParadise after it spent several hours stranded on the sand. Picture: JeremyPierce |
