What to do if you see a stranded whale

When whales wash up, perhaps humans’ first instinct is to push them back into the water.

It’s the wrong course of action, says Tonya Wimmer, executive director of the Nova Scotia-based Marine Animal Response Society.

“It’s very important to be able to assess the animal before putting it back in the water to make sure we’re doing the right thing for the animal, but also to protect people,” she said.

Last weekend, 11 pilot whales washed up in Port Hood, NS. A crowd of bystanders tried to get the whales back into the water. Only three whales survived.

While Wimmer appreciates the desire to help, she warns that people can harm the animals and themselves.

Wimmer said that if people come across a washed-up whale, they should call the association’s emergency hotline at 1-866-567-6277.

The association responds to cases of stranded, injured, entangled and dead marine animals in the Maritimes.

By providing information about the animal’s condition to the coordinator, it helps society determine what kind of response it needs when the team is sent to the site.

Depending on the expertise of the people on the ground, such as whether they are fisheries officers, the hotline responder may be able to provide some advice.

A clear no-no is not to pour water into a whale’s blowhole, Wimmer said. She said it can hinder their breathing and cause them to suffocate.

“Just as we wouldn’t like to have water up our noses, they don’t [like it] neither,” said Wimmer.

Volunteer Opportunities

She said the association has been training volunteers to help when marine animals are in trouble. She encourages people to check out the group’s website to learn more about it volunteer opportunities so people can get the necessary training to help.

Wimmer said it’s important for the team to assess the whale’s health before deciding what to do. She said some may be too injured to put back in the water, a process she called “floating up.”

When the pilot whales washed up in Port Hood last weekend, people trying to push the whales back into the water noticed that some quickly returned to shore.

Wimmer said pilot whales are social and often travel in family units.

“If you still have animals ashore, even if you’ve lifted a few, they often return to help or be with their counterparts,” she said.

Wimmer said this highlights why the response must be done by a trained team.

She said the association receives some money from Fisheries and Oceans Canada for its work.

In a statement, the department said it encourages people to call the association’s emergency hotline if they encounter stranded marine animals, reminding people that helping them could put themselves at risk.

Tag satellite

Wimmer said she would like the society to place satellite tags on the whales they float, giving officials a better understanding of the whale’s fate. But this would require additional funding and training for the charity.

“That would help us figure out if what we’re doing is right and working and also get a lot more information about where these animals are going,” she said.