Hard times for humpbacks Down Under

“The 15-tonne humpback did not die instantly as hoped when the first charge exploded just after 5 p.m. An officer then shot the 10-meter-long whale several times in the head and, when it continued to thrash its tail, detonated a second charge about 15 minutes after the first.”

--The West Australian newspaper

It only seems as though Australia has declared war on humpback whales.

The sad truth is, there has been a spate of whale strandings recently, prompting authorities to make difficult and controversial decisions.

Last month’s incident involving a stray baby humpback made international news. She became affectionately known as Colette and was killed by six lethal injections after swam into a marina and was trying to nuzzle against a yacht.

Towing Colette to sea and hoping she could find a replacement mother was deemed too cruel because she was still nursing and could not fend for herself in shark-infested waters.

Trying to raise her in a facility was deemed impractical and costly, and Colette is now singing her songs in whale heaven.

Earlier this month, a 40-ton dead humpback whale was buried on an Australian beach.

This latest incident, which ended unmercifully Tuesday, was just plain ugly. The whale, clearly sick or injured, had been seen rolling on a reef before coming ashore near Jurien Bay.

Some wanted the 2- to 3-year-old whale towed to sea, but wildlife experts said it would further stress the large mammal and expose it to shark predation.

Presumably, it was too large to euthanize. But to detonate an explosive in its brain, then have to shoot it when the explosive didn't work, then plant another explosive?

“I’m disappointed that they went ahead with it,” Laurie Levy, a former whale rescuer who ran the Whale Rescue Center in Victoria in the 1980s, told the West Australian. "Hearing that the whale thrashed  . . .  after the implosion concerns me a great deal.”

Such news undoubtedly is disconcerting to many. Wildlife experts said it was the first time in 18 years a whale has had to be killed in this manner. You'd think by now they'd have found a more humane method.

--Pete Thomas

Caption: A healthy humpback whale breaches in the Santa Barbara Channel. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Mike]

It seems to me that the whale would at least have a mathmatical chance against sharks and stress. Did they think it would be less stressful for the whale to be blown up? They should have towed it out to sea and let nature take it's course.

[Martin Brody]

Having a real hard time understanding these actions - what's wrong with towing these gentle giants out to sea and letting Mother Nature take its course?

Explosives, multiple gunshot wounds - talk about cruel and unusual.

[Bob Bowman]

This was a very, very sad case, and I have reason to know that the dedicated professionals involved in the difficult decision to put this whale down did not do so callously or without deep emotion and respect.

To better grasp the situation, it's first important to understand that this humpback whale stranded itself on a Western Australian beach because it was dying. The stranding was not the cause of its problems - it was a symptom of them. This whale was on the beach because it was already too sick to swim. Nature was taking its course right then and there. To attempt to tow such a large whale in such poor condition across a reef, though the surf, and out to sea would certainly have caused further injury, pain, and suffering, and most importantly, would not have improved its chance of recovery.

This was a dying whale. If you find a dying bird on the ground, you don't simply throw it into the air and hope it flies away - that would be cruel and inhumane. Same goes for a 35 foot, 15 ton whale - only more so.

Finally, the whale was not “blown up”. It was put down with a small implosive charge directly to the brain. The first attempt turned out to be too conservative, unfortunately - it was a lesson learned. Regardless, it is important to understand that the whale was put down within minutes - not days or possibly weeks longer of baking and blistering in the hot sun and being torn apart in the surf while awaiting its inevitable end.

[Ty Bell]

Brutal.... I think it would be more humane to suffocate the whale. Cut off its' air supply and then tow it out to sea for the sharks. Explosives and gunshots??? There`s got to be a better way. Maybe instead of feeding it to the sharks, the meat and blubber could be sold to the Japanese and the profits could be allocated for whale research and rescue. PS whussup Pete, I caught some really good waves this morning just south of the Palomar road turnaround in Carlsbad... offshore and really snappy late take off type beach break... let me know when your up for a surf. Ty