Yesterday, as
we rode in the catamaran on our way to Snipe Point, it was easy to forget why
we were heading out there. The sun was warm and the salty air cool. It was the
perfect day to be out on the water.
But as our hour and a half boat ride was coming to an end, the sight on land was sobering. I could see their bodies lying lifeless as we approached. This wasn't going to be one of my better days.
The task at hand was daunting but had to be done. Eleven pilot whales had beached themselves. Usually when we get called to a scene like this, there is hope that some of them can be saved but today wasn't one of them. All were dead and today our job was to find out why.
It took our team about four hours to perform the necropsy on all the animals; adult males and females and the young. The evidence will be sent out for analysis today but the results won't be known for weeks.
No matter how many times I do this, it doesn't get any easier. My heart grieves for these beautiful creatures. I had to keep in mind that these events have been going on for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
But with our research, and through our findings, perhaps we can better understand why these animals come aground and take the steps necessary to be sure that we are not part of the problem but rather, part of the solution.
But as our hour and a half boat ride was coming to an end, the sight on land was sobering. I could see their bodies lying lifeless as we approached. This wasn't going to be one of my better days.
The task at hand was daunting but had to be done. Eleven pilot whales had beached themselves. Usually when we get called to a scene like this, there is hope that some of them can be saved but today wasn't one of them. All were dead and today our job was to find out why.
It took our team about four hours to perform the necropsy on all the animals; adult males and females and the young. The evidence will be sent out for analysis today but the results won't be known for weeks.
No matter how many times I do this, it doesn't get any easier. My heart grieves for these beautiful creatures. I had to keep in mind that these events have been going on for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
But with our research, and through our findings, perhaps we can better understand why these animals come aground and take the steps necessary to be sure that we are not part of the problem but rather, part of the solution.
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