Ten melon-headed whales have been washed ashore on the Hawaiian island of Maui at the end of August. While one calf was found dead 1.5 kilometres away from the group, four adults needed to be euthanized as the NOAA veterinarians deemed their condition too grave to save them. With the help of several volunteers, the other six adults were successfully refloated back into deep water.
NOAA and the University of Hawaii are conducting a post-mortem exam to discover the cause of the stranding. To ensure smooth stranding response with the whales’ best interest in mind, the team is also working with Hawaiian cultural practitioners to conduct protocol albeit differential opinions on euthanisation.
For further reverence, read: https://time.com/5665158/hawaii-whales-stranding-death/
Comments