Despite having a fractured spine, a humpback whale has overcome all odds to
successfully travel 3,000 miles from its hunting grounds on Canada's west
coast to its breeding habitats in Maui, Hawaii.
As to the non-profit research group BC Whales, the terrible damage on the
female whale was first seen by researchers who had been tracking the whale
for years in September 2022. "We knew right away, as our drone hovered
overhead, that this whale had been hit by a vessel because of the abnormal
'S' bend in her spine from the dorsal fin to her fluke," the post stated on
Facebook.
In Maui, the Moon was discovered three months later. We recognized the
whale right away when we saw the photos, even though it had traveled more
than 3,000 kilometers. Soon later, it was determined that it was Moon,
according to BC Whales.
According to BC Whales, the injury was probably caused by Moon colliding
with a vessel. “All of us were moved by the horrifying pictures of her
deformed body. Even though she was probably in a lot of discomfort, she
managed to travel hundreds of kilometers without using her tail to push
herself. She was sorely degraded on her voyage that she was very underweight
and infested in whale lice, the statement said.
Moon travels a great distance between the oceans of Canada and Hawaii as
part of a custom her mother instilled in her as a newborn calf.
CEO of BC Whales and chief researcher Janie Wray described the situation as
extremely terrible when asked how the whale traveled so far. She was
basically performing the breaststroke to achieve that migration without
using her tail. It's just incredible," Wray stated to The Guardian.
Additionally, it just shatter your heart.
What's even more terrifying is that Moon would probably pass in the waters
off Maui due to his serious injuries. BC Whales stated, "She will not
survive to make the return journey in her current condition."
Wray went on, "She's suffering, but she's still here." "She is not
returning to visit us, as far as we are aware. We all believe that the
sooner she passes away, the better. She will soon be gone.
Although Wray said that scientists would have preferred to put the ailing
marine creature to sleep, this option was rejected since it would have
needed the use of poisons that would poison other animals that would be
consuming her remnants. Should she be on land, we may step in. However,
because to her size and the fact that she is in the water, there is little
we can do. And that only shatter your heart into even more fragments.
Moon's story, according to BC Whales, serves as a warning of the harmful
consequences of boat hits.
"We all need to do all in our power to protect whales. All sizes of vessels
may pose a hazard, so be cautious, move slowly, and wait. “This is the stark
reality of a vessel strike, and it speaks to the extended suffering that
whales can endure afterwards. We encourage all boaters to be aware of their
local laws and best practices to help reduce vessel strikes,” the statement
continued. Whales will go to great efforts to conform to behavioral
patterns, which testifies to their innate instincts and culture.
BC Whales made a strong case for more care on open waters.
"We never really know how strong Moon was to embark on what is sadly her
final journey, but it is our responsibility to respect such determination in
another species and acknowledge that vessel strikes result in a catastrophic
end."
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animals