Bystanders jump in to rescue stranded killer whale
By
Rina Torchinsky, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Aug 4, 2021 7:54 AM EST
Bystanders poured water and used a seawater pump to save a stranded whale while it waited for high tide.
A beached killer whale was freed from Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, after bystanders poured water on the 20-foot mammal until high tide, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The captain and crew on a nearby vessel, the Steadfast, spotted the 20-foot whale Thursday, July 29, at around 9 a.m., reporting that the creature was 4 to 5 feet from the tide line.
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The crew kept their eyes on the whale until Alaska Wildlife Troopers and an officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) arrived at the rocky beach on Prince of Wales Island, according to CNN.
A live killer whale is stranded on shore rocks in the vicinity of Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. (Captain Chance Strickland and Crew of M/V Steadfast)
NOAA fisheries then approved the use of a seawater pump to keep the orca wet and deter hungry birds before the high tide would sweep the orca back to sea. Bystanders also jumped into action to pour water on the whale.
A video posted to the social media platform TikTok shows the steps bystanders took to shower the whale, adding that the orca was stuck for six hours. Video captions say that the whale became "more lively" as they poured water.
The agency chose to wait for the tide to see if it would refloat the whale, noting that high tide occurred at 5:30 p.m. But by 3 p.m., Alaska Wildlife Troopers and an official with NOAA watched the whale swim away.
NOAA says it does not know how or why the killer whale became stranded, though it could have been because it was chasing prey.
Canada’s Department of Fisheries confirmed the whale’s identity as a 13-year-old Bigg’s killer whale. NOAA is examining photos and videos to determine if the orca is injured, CNN reported.
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News / Weather News
Bystanders jump in to rescue stranded killer whale
By Rina Torchinsky, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Aug 4, 2021 7:54 AM EST
Bystanders poured water and used a seawater pump to save a stranded whale while it waited for high tide.
A beached killer whale was freed from Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, after bystanders poured water on the 20-foot mammal until high tide, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The captain and crew on a nearby vessel, the Steadfast, spotted the 20-foot whale Thursday, July 29, at around 9 a.m., reporting that the creature was 4 to 5 feet from the tide line.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The crew kept their eyes on the whale until Alaska Wildlife Troopers and an officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) arrived at the rocky beach on Prince of Wales Island, according to CNN.
A live killer whale is stranded on shore rocks in the vicinity of Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. (Captain Chance Strickland and Crew of M/V Steadfast)
NOAA fisheries then approved the use of a seawater pump to keep the orca wet and deter hungry birds before the high tide would sweep the orca back to sea. Bystanders also jumped into action to pour water on the whale.
A video posted to the social media platform TikTok shows the steps bystanders took to shower the whale, adding that the orca was stuck for six hours. Video captions say that the whale became "more lively" as they poured water.
The agency chose to wait for the tide to see if it would refloat the whale, noting that high tide occurred at 5:30 p.m. But by 3 p.m., Alaska Wildlife Troopers and an official with NOAA watched the whale swim away.
NOAA says it does not know how or why the killer whale became stranded, though it could have been because it was chasing prey.
Canada’s Department of Fisheries confirmed the whale’s identity as a 13-year-old Bigg’s killer whale. NOAA is examining photos and videos to determine if the orca is injured, CNN reported.
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