...some good news for a change

Last month, the staff and guests at the Palmyra Resort in Montego Bay had something big to celebrate.  A Cuvier’s beaked whale that strayed into the resort’s swimming area and got itself trapped was successfully returned to the open sea.

Marine mammal specialist Deloy Peharie (left) and volunteer Kevin Rosen guide a stranded whale toward the open sea.  The animal had become trapped in shallow water near the Palmyra Resort.

The animal apparently followed a school of fish into the shallow water.  Then it couldn’t find its way out past the underwater barrier that protects the private beach.  Low tide and rolling waves added to its troubles.

The whale – about 15 feet long and likely weighing about 1200 pounds – struggled by itself for 20 minutes or so.  Hungry, thirsty, confused and tired, it got beaten up on the rocks at the barrier and almost beached itself a couple of times.

Palmyra’s manager called in two marine mammal specialists from a nearby resort.  With the help of some volunteers and a rising tide, they were able to calm the whale and guide it safely back to deep water.

The rescuers can only guess how this young whale – which would normally stay in water more than 1000 feet deep -- found itself alone and in trouble near shore.  It was weak and dehydrated from not eating – beaked whales only get water into their systems from the fish and squid they eat.  It may have had an accident or got sick, making it too weak to keep up with its family group (called a “pod”).

Though this whale never quite got stuck on the beach, it may also have had a touch of “land sickness”.  Stranded whales and dolphins can drown if they are simply pushed back into the water.  The combination of stress and gravity (without deep water to support their weight) upsets the balance system that keeps them right side up.  In the first stage of a stranding rescue, people constantly support the animal in the water until its natural balance comes back.  This can take a few minutes or a week, but until it happens the whale can’t safely swim on its own.

Jamaican whale strandings are fairly rare.  This is probably a good thing, since we don’t belong to any of the Caribbean region’s stranding networks – the best source of qualified medical and rescue specialists.  Almost all of our attempts to save stranded whales and dolphins have failed, and the worldwide success rate is only about 50%.  It would be nice to think that the good result at Palmyra was a turning point.

The Palmyra whale was lucky.  It had no serious injuries, and was spotted before it could get stuck on the beach.  But to give credit where it’s due, there was some good management too.  Trained professionals were called to the scene before the whale’s panic could do it serious harm.  They took their time, and their patience was rewarded.

If you find a stranded whale or dolphin, or a sea turtle in trouble, call the Marine Park (952-5619) right away, and we will call in the experts.  If you want to do something, keep the animal’s skin damp and protect it from the sun until help arrives.