# Sadness for those who love whales **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 30, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392 "2004-11-30T21:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/1 "2004-11-30T21:47:34Z")
Whales are so cool. I’ve been a whale nut since I was a kid. Needless to say, **Whalerider** was one of my favorite films from last year. This just breaks my heart… > [@](#): > > [At Least 55 Whales Die in New Zealand Mass Stranding, Officials Say](http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=492) > > November 30, 2004 — By Associated Press > WELLINGTON, New Zealand − Rescuers were working feverishly Tuesday to float two whales stranded for two days on a North Island beach, where 55 pilot whales carcasses litter the sand, conservation officials said. > > The mass stranding of 75 pilot whales was only discovered Monday and rescuers found only 21 still alive when they reached the isolated scene, Conservation Department area manager John Gaukrodger said. > > Rescuers believe the whales may have been chasing food when they stranded on Opoutere Beach, on North Island’s east coast overnight Sunday. > > By midmorning Tuesday 18 of the mammals had been refloated by rescuers who used a large digger to channel water to the animals, keeping them wet while waiting for a high tide later Monday. > > Three coaxed back out to sea during Monday night were too weak to handle the conditions and were turned back into shore by rescuers for another attempt Tuesday. One was refloated during the morning. > > Gaukrodger said volunteers had worked for 18 hours nonstop keeping whales moist and trying to get some movement as they lay on the beach and waited for the tide. > > “Lying in one pozzie (position) for some time is not good for them,” he said. > > (more) _cry_ ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/2 "2004-11-30T21:51:06Z")
Damn! Damn, damn, damn! Nature has a heartbreaking way of making someone feel so powerless. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/3 "2004-11-30T21:52:58Z")
{Ineffectual pats on Equipoise’s shoulder} I’m so sorry to hear about this. Being stranded like that is terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/4 "2004-12-01T07:05:59Z")
in Australia > [@](#): > > [115 Whales, Dolphins Die After Beaching](http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-australia-beached-whales,0,2181506.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines) > > November 30, 2004, 11:43 AM EST > > CANBERRA, Australia – A total of 115 whales and dolphins died after swimming onto beaches on two southern Australian islands, authorities said Tuesday as the search continued for more pods in danger. > > The stranding coincided with the beaching of 75 pilot whales in recent days on the coast of New Zealand. > > The mass deaths in Australia began when 97 animals – 72 pilot whales and 25 bottlenose dolphins – perished Sunday on King Island between the mainland and the southeast island state of Tasmania, state government environment spokesman Warwick Brennan said. > > On Maria Island, 280 miles away, another 19 dead pilot whales were found Monday, whale rescue expert Shane Hunniford said. > > Dozens of rescuers dragged 24 surviving whales – each about 13-feet-long and weighing one ton – into deep water in an exhausting 10-hour operation that ended late Monday, he said. > > … Sorry to post such depressing things without really adding much of my own comment. I’m not a very good Doper that way. It’s very depressing. They don’t know what causes beachings though there are a lot of theories, including climactic changes. > [@](#): > > University of Tasmania whale researcher Mark Hindell – who has studied beachings for more than 80 years – said cyclic climatic events that bring cold water and nutrients from Antarctica closer to the Australian coast may be responsible. but who knows. I’m glad there are people studying these events. Maybe we’ll find out someday. Thanks for the words and the pats Devil’s Grandmother and TwoTrouts, I appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/5 "2004-12-01T09:35:46Z")
There are tons of theories, but usually marine mammals will strand because one or more members of the pod are sick. “Sick” almost always involves GI problems. When they get too sick to keep afloat, they move closer and closer to shore until finally they are resting on shore because otherwise, they would drown. They’re too weak too swim. The healthy members of the pod will end up on shore as well, stranded, because they would not leave their sick buddies. So many healthy animals will die because a few friends were too sick to swim. Not that I’ve been involved in such things for very long, but I’ve never seen healthy animals stranded, unless they were accompanied by sick friends. So the “navigational problems” theory doesn’t seem to hold as much water. They usually seem to be deliberate, though the consequences aren’t. Maybe they should think things through a little more thoroughly? There are studies going on right now about US Naval vessels and some type of radar or sonar they’re using and how that effects the navigation of dolphinsl. From what I’ve read, it seems plausible. Someone’s even designed sone robotic dolphins that are released from a ship and seek out a pod. Then the robots somehow release a signal that prevents the sonar from screwing up the real dolphins. Crap, I need to read up on that one again. It’s pretty interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/6 "2004-12-01T10:26:54Z")
On the other hand, it’s a fairly comprehensive refutation of the idea that they’re intelligent creatures: how many cows do you see running into the sea and drowning en masse? They don’t even taste as good as cows - tough as old boots, a horrible reddish-black colour, and a flavour strongly reminiscent of aged liver. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/7 "2004-12-01T10:30:01Z")
> [@Middlecase](#): > > On the other hand, it’s a fairly comprehensive refutation of the idea that they’re intelligent creatures Perhaps they are just very empathic. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/8 "2004-12-01T10:40:41Z")
Or very depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Canadiangirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Canadiangirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadiangirl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/9 "2004-12-01T13:01:47Z")
It has been proven in many areas that the excessive noises in the waters of the world are causing hearting and sonar problems with whales. It’s unfortunately that oil companies and military choose to ignore the findings when doing experimental explosions and drilling in areas which are frequented by whales. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/10 "2004-12-01T16:59:58Z")
> [@Canadiangirl](#): > > It has been proven in many areas that the excessive noises in the waters of the world are causing hearting and sonar problems with whales. It’s unfortunately that oil companies and military choose to ignore the findings when doing experimental explosions and drilling in areas which are frequented by whales. I don’t know about oil companies, but the US Navy is cooperating and working on these issues - not completely ignoring them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/11 "2004-12-01T17:59:19Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > On the other hand, it’s a fairly comprehensive refutation of the idea that they’re intelligent creatures: … So the people who kill themselves (or simply stop caring for themselves) after loved ones die are not intelligent creatures? I also find your comments about eating endangered animals to be highly inappropriate. We have a pit for that sort of thing, please take it there. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/12 "2004-12-01T18:30:43Z")
> [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > So the people who kill themselves (or simply stop caring for themselves) after loved ones die are not intelligent creatures? > I also find your comments about eating endangered animals to be highly inappropriate. We have a pit for that sort of thing, please take it there. I thought he was kidding. Did I get anti-wooshed? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/13 "2004-12-01T21:49:02Z")
No, I think I just have no sense of humor today. I’m Sorry for snapping at you, **Case**. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/14 "2004-12-01T21:55:09Z")
> [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > No, I think I just have no sense of humor today. I’m Sorry for snapping at you, **Case**. I can speak Whale. NoooeeeOOOoooeeeOOOooo ProooeeeOOObleeeOOOm. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sadness-for-those-who-love-whales/277392/15 "2004-12-02T00:40:36Z")
_Disclaimer: I love whales and dolphins and I’m saddened that so many died so don’t bite my head off_ I could not help but wonder … > [@](#): > > 115 Whales, Dolphins Die After Beaching if they left a note that read, “So long and thanks for all the fish.”