Whale strandings stump experts

Scientists who study marine mammals don’t have a good handle on the reason why whales beach themselves, as a baby humpback did Monday at Punalu‘u.

"Since ancient times, there have been records of strandings. It could be that they were injured, sick or entangled in marine debris," said Margaret Akamine Dupree, coordinator of the National Marine Fisheries Service Protected Species Program.

"But sometimes, perfectly healthy animals are stranding. It’s normal that we have at least a few a year."

Whale researcher Adam Pack, assistant director of the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory, said it is one of the mysteries of marine science.

There are indications some strandings may have to do with the planet’s magnetic fields, which whales may use for navigation, he said. But he agreed that many strandings seem to indicate that something is wrong with the animal.

"We don’t know a huge amount still about why whales strand but they are typically when an animal is sick and is having a difficult time," Pack said.

Marine mammal experts are more clear about what humans should do in a stranding situation.

In the odd occurrence that a stranding occurs at a remote site where it is impossible to call for assistance, marine mammals should be kept wet and should be helped back into the water if possible.

"Get all the help you can and get them back into the water. Their internal organs can be crushed from their body weight, which is normally supported in the water," Pack said.

But any time untrained people are dealing with large marine mammals, there is danger, Dupree said.

"It’s really deceiving. Even a dead animal rolling in the surf can be dangerous, and usually if there are dead animals around, there are sharks around," she said.

The public’s first responsibility is to quickly gather critical information and call in the "marine mammal posse."

The number, good nationwide, 24 hours a day, is 1-800-853-1964.

"We often get inaccurate information. We need to know the caller’s name and number. We need to know what the animal is doing, the species if known, how big it is, its condition — whether it’s alive or dead — the address, what the area is like, including whether we can get a boat or heavy equipment in there," Dupree said.

In Hawai‘i, during winter when humpback whales, many of them mothers with calves, are present, the likelihood of a stranding is higher.

"These animals are not social in the sense that dolphins are," Pack said, so if a calf has been abandoned by its mother, or if its mother is sick or dead, it has little chance of survival.

"There are no cases of adoption of a lone calf by another whale," Pack said.

Dupree said there were reports that beachgoers at Punalu‘u saw a pod of whales holding station in waters near the stranding, but she could not confirm that. She also did not know whether the whales made contact with the calf when it went back out to sea.

"In the Punalu‘u case, unfortunately, we were not notified about it. I don’t know whether the mother of this calf was waiting for it beyond the reef," Pack said.

Hawai‘i’s humpbacks are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Endangered Species Act. Boaters and other ocean users are required to maintain a distance of 100 yards from a whale, but any act that endangers or harasses humpbacks is subject to federal prosecution.

"Folks really should not get up close and personal with a marine mammal," Dupree said.

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