Whales - I've been Crying

[Bev]

A pod of 125 pilot whales stranded near Farewell Spit not too far from
where I used to live. The area of Golden Bay is probably one of the most
beautiful places in New Zealand but unfortunately can be a whale death trap.
The last stranding was in 1998 and there have been many others earlier. I
suspect it is the shape of the spit that disrupts their sonar or another
theory is that when one of the pod gets sick and beaches they won't leave it
and beach themselves. People have come from all over New Zealand to keep
them alive until the next high tide when they try to refloat them. People
nearby heard them crying during the night and watching it made me cry too.

They refloated the whales last night and everyone has been praying that they
will go back out to sea and not beach themselves again (highly likely). A
spotter plane went up at six this morning and didn't find them but latest
news is that they are coming perilously close to the beach again and there
might have to be another rescue for them. Sixteen have already died so I am
praying that the rest will make it.

Then straight after that item on the news came the story of the Greenpeace
people trying to stop the Japanese whalers from slaughtering whales
ostensibly for scientific purposes but really for the sale of whale meat.
Strange isn't it, we as a nation are trying to save the whales and they want
to kill them! Whale-watching is big business in New Zealand and tourists
love it.

If you would like to see the story and pictures go to
www.stuff.co.nz The picture of the whale crying had me sniffing again.

Bev






--

A black cat dropped soundlessly from a high wall, like a spoonful of
treacle, and melted under the gate -
Elizabeth Lemarchand

[CatNipped]

"Bev" > wrote in message
...
>A pod of 125 pilot whales stranded near Farewell Spit not too far from
>where I used to live. The area of Golden Bay is probably one of the most
>beautiful places in New Zealand but unfortunately can be a whale death
>trap. The last stranding was in 1998 and there have been many others
>earlier. I suspect it is the shape of the spit that disrupts their sonar
>or another theory is that when one of the pod gets sick and beaches they
>won't leave it and beach themselves. People have come from all over New
>Zealand to keep them alive until the next high tide when they try to
>refloat them. People nearby heard them crying during the night and
>watching it made me cry too.
>
> They refloated the whales last night and everyone has been praying that
> they will go back out to sea and not beach themselves again (highly
> likely). A spotter plane went up at six this morning and didn't find
> them but latest news is that they are coming perilously close to the beach
> again and there might have to be another rescue for them. Sixteen have
> already died so I am praying that the rest will make it.
>
> Then straight after that item on the news came the story of the Greenpeace
> people trying to stop the Japanese whalers from slaughtering whales
> ostensibly for scientific purposes but really for the sale of whale meat.
> Strange isn't it, we as a nation are trying to save the whales and they
> want to kill them! Whale-watching is big business in New Zealand and
> tourists love it.
>
> If you would like to see the story and pictures go to
> www.stuff.co.nz The picture of the whale crying had me sniffing
> again.
>
> Bev

I'm not strong enough to watch something like that without losing it, so
I'll skip the item, but I will get my crew purring for the rest of the
whales to get safely back to sea.

Hugs,

CatNipped

> --
>
> A black cat dropped soundlessly from a high wall, like a spoonful of
> treacle, and melted under the gate -
> Elizabeth Lemarchand
>

[Jo Firey]

"Bev" > wrote in message
...
>A pod of 125 pilot whales stranded near Farewell Spit not too far from
>where I used to live. The area of Golden Bay is probably one of the most
>beautiful places in New Zealand but unfortunately can be a whale death
>trap. The last stranding was in 1998 and there have been many others
>earlier. I suspect it is the shape of the spit that disrupts their sonar
>or another theory is that when one of the pod gets sick and beaches they
>won't leave it and beach themselves. People have come from all over New
>Zealand to keep them alive until the next high tide when they try to
>refloat them. People nearby heard them crying during the night and
>watching it made me cry too.
>
> They refloated the whales last night and everyone has been praying that
> they will go back out to sea and not beach themselves again (highly
> likely). A spotter plane went up at six this morning and didn't find
> them but latest news is that they are coming perilously close to the beach
> again and there might have to be another rescue for them. Sixteen have
> already died so I am praying that the rest will make it.
>
> Then straight after that item on the news came the story of the Greenpeace
> people trying to stop the Japanese whalers from slaughtering whales
> ostensibly for scientific purposes but really for the sale of whale meat.
> Strange isn't it, we as a nation are trying to save the whales and they
> want to kill them! Whale-watching is big business in New Zealand and
> tourists love it.
>
> If you would like to see the story and pictures go to
> www.stuff.co.nz The picture of the whale crying had me sniffing
> again.
>
> Bev
>


They are getting much better at distracting them from re beaching
themselves. I hope it works for this pod.

Jo

[Adrian]

Bev wrote:
> A pod of 125 pilot whales stranded near Farewell Spit not too far
> from where I used to live. The area of Golden Bay is probably one of
> the most beautiful places in New Zealand but unfortunately can be a
> whale death trap. The last stranding was in 1998 and there have been
> many others earlier. I suspect it is the shape of the spit that
> disrupts their sonar or another theory is that when one of the pod
> gets sick and beaches they won't leave it and beach themselves.
> People have come from all over New Zealand to keep them alive until
> the next high tide when they try to refloat them. People nearby
> heard them crying during the night and watching it made me cry too.
>
> They refloated the whales last night and everyone has been praying
> that they will go back out to sea and not beach themselves again
> (highly likely). A spotter plane went up at six this morning and
> didn't find them but latest news is that they are coming perilously
> close to the beach again and there might have to be another rescue
> for them. Sixteen have already died so I am praying that the rest
> will make it.
>
> Then straight after that item on the news came the story of the
> Greenpeace people trying to stop the Japanese whalers from
> slaughtering whales ostensibly for scientific purposes but really for
> the sale of whale meat. Strange isn't it, we as a nation are trying
> to save the whales and they want to kill them! Whale-watching is big
> business in New Zealand and tourists love it.
>
> If you would like to see the story and pictures go to
> www.stuff.co.nz The picture of the whale crying had me sniffing
> again.
>
> Bev

I'm so saddend about the strandings, it makes me think of the film 'Whale
Rider' all the people doing their best to help.

I also watched a news item about the Greenpeace people trying to stop the
Japanese whalers from slaughtering whales, I can see no justification for
this whatsoever, it's not as if Japan is a poor nation that needs to catch
these beautiful animals to survive.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
A House is not a home, without a cat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

[Bev]

I agree Adrian, Japanese whaling is so pointless. Incidentally, these
whales are being killed within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and well
outside Japan's own territorial waters.

Good news about the whale stranding btw. It is rare that 100 whales can be
saved in a stranding and it seems that the care given to these huge animals
by some 150 people
played a large part in their rescue. It's such hard work keeping sensitive
skin lubricated and soothing the animals as they are so stressed. Then as
the tide rises the whales have to be helped and positioned to refloat as
they are disorientated. I bet these these people were utterly exhausted at
the end of it all and I feel very proud of them.
There was one moment of panic when a tracker plane spotted a pod heading for
shore about 10 kilometres off Golden Bay. However the group did a sudden
U-turn and headed back out to sea

It really is a happy ending for the whale story.

Bev
"Adrian" > wrote in message
...
> Bev wrote:
>> A pod of 125 pilot whales stranded near Farewell Spit not too far
>> from where I used to live. The area of Golden Bay is probably one of
>> the most beautiful places in New Zealand but unfortunately can be a
>> whale death trap. The last stranding was in 1998 and there have been
>> many others earlier. I suspect it is the shape of the spit that
>> disrupts their sonar or another theory is that when one of the pod
>> gets sick and beaches they won't leave it and beach themselves.
>> People have come from all over New Zealand to keep them alive until
>> the next high tide when they try to refloat them. People nearby
>> heard them crying during the night and watching it made me cry too.
>>
>> They refloated the whales last night and everyone has been praying
>> that they will go back out to sea and not beach themselves again
>> (highly likely). A spotter plane went up at six this morning and
>> didn't find them but latest news is that they are coming perilously
>> close to the beach again and there might have to be another rescue
>> for them. Sixteen have already died so I am praying that the rest
>> will make it.
>>
>> Then straight after that item on the news came the story of the
>> Greenpeace people trying to stop the Japanese whalers from
>> slaughtering whales ostensibly for scientific purposes but really for
>> the sale of whale meat. Strange isn't it, we as a nation are trying
>> to save the whales and they want to kill them! Whale-watching is big
>> business in New Zealand and tourists love it.
>>
>> If you would like to see the story and pictures go to
>> www.stuff.co.nz The picture of the whale crying had me sniffing
>> again.
>>
>> Bev
>
> I'm so saddend about the strandings, it makes me think of the film 'Whale
> Rider' all the people doing their best to help.
>
> I also watched a news item about the Greenpeace people trying to stop the
> Japanese whalers from slaughtering whales, I can see no justification for
> this whatsoever, it's not as if Japan is a poor nation that needs to catch
> these beautiful animals to survive.
> --
> Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
> A House is not a home, without a cat.
> http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk
>
>

[Adrian]

Bev wrote:
> I agree Adrian, Japanese whaling is so pointless. Incidentally,
> these whales are being killed within the Southern Ocean Whale
> Sanctuary and well outside Japan's own territorial waters.
>
> Good news about the whale stranding btw. It is rare that 100 whales
> can be saved in a stranding and it seems that the care given to these
> huge animals by some 150 people
> played a large part in their rescue. It's such hard work keeping
> sensitive skin lubricated and soothing the animals as they are so
> stressed. Then as the tide rises the whales have to be helped and
> positioned to refloat as they are disorientated. I bet these these
> people were utterly exhausted at the end of it all and I feel very
> proud of them.
> There was one moment of panic when a tracker plane spotted a pod
> heading for shore about 10 kilometres off Golden Bay. However the
> group did a sudden U-turn and headed back out to sea
>
> It really is a happy ending for the whale story.

I'm so glad to hear there was a happy ending.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
A House is not a home, without a cat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

[Kreisleriana]

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 08:02:19 +1300, "Bev" > yodeled:

>I agree Adrian, Japanese whaling is so pointless. Incidentally, these
>whales are being killed within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and well
>outside Japan's own territorial waters.
>
>Good news about the whale stranding btw. It is rare that 100 whales can be
>saved in a stranding and it seems that the care given to these huge animals
>by some 150 people
>played a large part in their rescue. It's such hard work keeping sensitive
>skin lubricated and soothing the animals as they are so stressed. Then as
>the tide rises the whales have to be helped and positioned to refloat as
>they are disorientated. I bet these these people were utterly exhausted at
>the end of it all and I feel very proud of them.
>There was one moment of panic when a tracker plane spotted a pod heading for
>shore about 10 kilometres off Golden Bay. However the group did a sudden
>U-turn and headed back out to sea
>
>It really is a happy ending for the whale story.
>


What a tremendous relief. These animals are very sensitive, and we
have no idea what we're doing to them just by all the fooling around
in the ocean we do-- much less hunting them. There have been many
orca beachings associated with US Navy sonar exercises. If we're
going to use their homes as a combination hunting ground/dumping
ground/battlefield, the bare decent minimum we can do is help the ones
that we see suffering like this. Better, of course, to think
differently about what we're doing to their homes.


Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com

Make Levees, Not War

[polonca12000]

I'm so very relieved to hear the whales will be ok.
Wishing the very best for the people who saved the whales, and purrs and
best wishes for the whales not to be stranded again,
Polonca and Soncek

Bev wrote:
> I agree Adrian, Japanese whaling is so pointless. Incidentally, these
> whales are being killed within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and well
> outside Japan's own territorial waters.
>
> Good news about the whale stranding btw. It is rare that 100 whales can be
> saved in a stranding and it seems that the care given to these huge animals
> by some 150 people
> played a large part in their rescue. It's such hard work keeping sensitive
> skin lubricated and soothing the animals as they are so stressed. Then as
> the tide rises the whales have to be helped and positioned to refloat as
> they are disorientated. I bet these these people were utterly exhausted at
> the end of it all and I feel very proud of them.
> There was one moment of panic when a tracker plane spotted a pod heading for
> shore about 10 kilometres off Golden Bay. However the group did a sudden
> U-turn and headed back out to sea
>
> It really is a happy ending for the whale story.
>
> Bev