Upstream | February 09, 2011 | 28 comments

Hawaii Pilot Spots Humpback Whale with Broken Back - Sad

source: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/09/hawaiian-pilot-spots-badly-injured-whale/?hpt=C2

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EthicalVegan
Hawaii pilot spots badly injured whale

Birds in Paradise owner-flight instructor Gerry Charlebois photographed this mortally injured humpback whale off the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

February 9th, 2011
12:06 PM ET


A humpback whale with an apparently broken back has been spotted in waters near Hawaii, a newspaper reports.

Gerry Charlebois, who takes student pilot/tourists for coastal excursions in ultralight aircraft, spotted the injured whale from the air Monday in shallow water near Kauai.

"He wasn't moving his fluke and was just staying near the surface and sort of limping down the coast," he said. "It's kind of sad to see a full adult whale in that condition. ... It's definitely something he's not recovering from."

"This is one of the most disturbing sights I've ever experienced while photographing whales," Charlebois, the owner of Birds in Paradise Flight School, told The Garden Island Newspaper. "It was freaky. The whale was bent in half. Obviously some kind of blunt force trauma on the side. The poor guy was in trouble."

A large boat or ship must have struck the whale, which hasn't been seen since Monday, he said. Humpbacks normally are pretty agile, so this one may have been old or sick an unable to move out of a ship's way, he said.

Birds in Paradise manager Kirk Johnson said Charlebois and others on the flight first thought they'd seen an albino whale, but when they came around to take another look, they could see that it was discolored instead.

Ed Lyman of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary on Maui told the paper the whale appeared to be in poor health - emaciated, shedding skin and surrounded by parasites - and there is no established method for euthanizing a large whale.

These big whales tend to die slowly, Charlebois said. When they do, they sink to the bottom until decomposition gases make them float to the surface, where they attract large numbers of hungry sharks, he said.

"It's amazing to see these 15-foot sharks all feeding on a whale," Charlebois said. "You don't want to be snorkeling around there. You don't want to be in that neighborhood."

Charlebois said he and his three other pilots would look for signs of the injured whale again today.

About 2,000 humpback whales live in the waters off Alaska, and many of them migrate to Hawaii's warm waters between November and May, according to Earthtrust.org. Whale watching is a major part of Hawaii's tourism industry. Adult humpbacks range in size from 35 to 48 feet, and weigh about 1 ton per foot.
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28 comments // Hawaii Pilot Spots Humpback Whale with Broken Back - Sad

  • EthicalVegan
  • FLeggplant
  • gypsysailor
  • VoyagerFilms
  • thepatient
  • lifestudentno83
  • EthicalVegan
  • Ares
    • -14
      Ares  

    • Maybe if we dispatch the Steve Irwin and its inept crew they can kill themselves trying to put a splint on this fucking whale. Talk about two birds!

    • 2 years ago
  • lifestudentno83
  • Maggielee
    • -2
      Maggielee  
    • lifestudentno83:

      No kidding sherlock...but there is a large oceanography ship Named the Steve Irwin. I believe you stated, :" the Steve Irwin and it's crew"? Your comment was still obtuse. Don't even attempt to retry...I already have you pegged as a horses" fanny. So unless you possesses some intelligent discussion skills you have yet to demonstrate....you bore me.

    • 2 years ago
  • lifestudentno83
    • +1
      lifestudentno83  
    • Maggielee:

      You must be new.
      You should try not to take such a combative tone with people, it's frowned upon here.

      I've conversed with Ares before(he is known for his inflammatory comment, hence the -5 votes), and you are apparently defending him while he advocates the death of the "inept crew" of the oceanography crewmembers. I suppose you dislike oceanographers to the same extent Ares does.

      I comment how I see fit given the situation. You seemed to have me pegged as a horses ass and haven't even seen more than one post from me... I think that short-sided line of thinking will get you far here. And for the record, I could care less if I bore you because I'm not here for your entertainment.

      I hope you enjoy your stay here at Current.

    • 2 years ago
  • ThatCrazyLibertarian
  • Maggielee
    • 0
      Maggielee  
    • ThatCrazyLibertarian:

      ThatCrazyLibertarian......he/she does kind of appear to be on his/her back but it's difficult to tell for sure. You are right, when seeing one from above they appear a dark glowing blue...at least that's the way it appeared to me.

    • 2 years ago
  • remanns
  • Maggielee
    • +3
      Maggielee  

    • Oh that makes me cry. I've been to Maui when the mother humpbacks, who have traveled from Alaska and the north Atlantic, are giving birth...and this is that time of the year. Usually a mother whale will have a male whale, not the father, but a sort of an escort/protector staying close to her. They are such awesome, beautiful animals and I was truly overwhelmed to be able to be within a few feet as they swam around the boat. When a whale does come near a whale watching boat, the captain stops the engine, dead in the water-it's the law) and allows the whale(s) to come as close as they will. I swear the mother and the male escort looked us straight in the eyes! I am not kidding when I tell you..it was a moment I will never forget. Right after The mother feeds the baby she then helps him breach which helps make him stronger. Ours did it 3 times and the male did it once on the other side of the boat which made us all jump!! After awhile the male flapped his huge back fin on the water very close to us. The captain told us he was just giving a warning that he was there to protect the mother and baby (who was about 6 weeks old according to the captain).

      MrMxyzptlk people like you make me feel sorry for your pitiful view of life.

    • 2 years ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • +2
      EthicalVegan  
    • Maggielee:

      Your sentiments, and recollections, are enjoyable. This is really a sad event and -- despite it not being news in martin0's sense of what he thinks news should be -- I think this whole thing is fascinating. And, there is the question of what, if anything, can be done for this gentle mammal.

      I appreciate just how many people obviously care... in this day and age, alas, that's more and more a rarity. And perhaps THAT is news.

      From the beginning, I've been convinced she is a female, by the way.

    • 2 years ago
  • Maggielee
    • +1
      Maggielee  
    • EthicalVegan:

      EthicalVegan: My gut tells me and it appears there is nothing that can be done at this point. He or she is already shedding tissue..that's why the skin appears so light..infection is likely setting in. Looking down on a humpback one should see a dark blue shape, they are white underneath. The spinal cord is certainly broken and she cannot swim to feed and she already appears thin. When they travel from the north Atlantic, the whole time they are in Maui they don't eat, they live off fat reserves until they head back in March. She/he will be unable to do so. I think allowing nature to proceed is the only option sad as it is. The worst of it is that this problem is not unusual. Due to increase in shipping, more and more whales are in the shipping lanes and being hit and killed by large ships ever year.
      To those of you who are making snide remarks....no one is attacking you. We are just commenting on a sad sight of a great animal dying. IS it wrong to appreciate not only our fellow human sisters and brothers on this big blue planet, but also the animals that share it? WTF is your problem?

    • 2 years ago
  • martin0
    • -5
      martin0  

    • this is a whale. a countless number of people break their back every day.
      i understand that some think this is sad but this isnt news.

    • 2 years ago
  • MrMxyzptlk
  • lifestudentno83
  • KSirys
  • Robert_Miller1
  • KSirys
  • littlwarrior
    • 0
      littlwarrior  

    • Awww poor, I wish there were someway to help him, or at least euthanize him. How do you quickly and painlessly kill an animal of that size? I just feel so bad for him.

    • 2 years ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • 0
      EthicalVegan  
    • littlwarrior:

      Euthanization is probably totally out of the question (as this article suggests)... UNFORTUNATELY.

      I'll bet you, though, that all those involved with the health of whales will be trying to figure out a way to euthanize her, just the same. It'll be interesting to watch. It's obvious she's terminal, and I'm feeling so sad... and helpless/hopeless.

    • 2 years ago
  • CalPal
  • littlwarrior
    • 0
      littlwarrior  
    • CalPal:

      ya but a whales don't die so easy shooting him would probably be a cruel way to go because though it may expedite his death probably not by much and it would further stress him. I am thinking a giant does of morphine, like seriously a whole damn poppy field's worth. Worst that could happen is he don't die but he would feel better.

    • 2 years ago
  • kcaid
    • +2
      kcaid  
    • littlwarrior:

      there are times when nature must take it's course, regardless how disturbing or painful it is. I've no doubt this has happened many times before without our knowledge, centuries for sure, without our intervention, and nature as always has taken care of its own....

      it is however, painful to see and witness for those that can actually get up close...

    • 2 years ago
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