by Enormous Beached More Than 19-Meter Sperm Whale Rescued In China About 20 Hours
The locals of Xiangshan County in the Zhejiang province of China were taken by great surprise after hearing that a sperm whale was beached in their area. A fisherman found the colossal creature, which was lying helpless on the beach for about 20 hours. Rescuers were in a hurry to return the whale to the sea. Many helped out to carefully drag the animal back to its home.
The more than 19-meter-long sperm whale had been stranded in a quagmire near the city of Ningbo, in Zhejiang province (China). About 740 meters from the shoreline of the beach was the animal that was anxiously figh.ting to survive. Unable to move his body, he could only flap his tail and when the tide went out he was completely exposed. The sperm whale was at risk of suf.focating under its own weight or dy.ing of dehydration.
The heat was another risk factor for the animal, so the fishermen tried to help it as quickly as possible. Although the matter took much longer than they imagined and obviously required specialized equipment. The authorities used five boats to try to move the sperm whale, but none of this worked. While the men used buckets to hydrate the animal.
After nearly a day’s strug.gle to keep the shallot safe, after 10 p.m. the tide began to rise high enough to facilitate the rescue. At that moment the boats intervened again, holding the animal with ropes in order to drag it to its habitat. Although it was not easy, these men managed it and, once the sperm whale was submerged to the right level, it managed to start swimming again on its own and return to the sea. The moment was quite satisfying for everyone in the place, because the effort had been worth it.
Due to its size, it is very likely that the specimen in question was an adult male. According to the specialist, this was a blessing since the females and the youngest live in a herd and when one of them gets stuck, the rest of the group follow him in order to help him.
However, such a scene would have been unfortunate. In fact, for the professor the survival of the sperm whale he rescues is doubtful; the odds are pretty tough. What happens to these animals is that their individual organs start the de.ath process, but the whole animal doesn’t d-i.e until days later. The circulatory system of these large creatures is affected when they spend so much time stranded and it is difficult for them to recover.
Scientists have long been calling for more conservation efforts for cetaceans. As top underwater predators, their status indicates the health of the ocean’s ecosystem and they are facing growing threats from human activities and climate change, both in China and elsewhere globally.
