> From ABC news: (Australian ABC!)
> *Dolphin rescues stranded NZ whales* > > A dolphin has guided two stranded whales to safety after human > attempts to keep the animals off a New Zealand beach failed, a > conservation official said. > > "I've never heard of anything like this before, it was amazing," > Conservation Department officer Malcolm Smith said. > > The actions of the dolphin, known for playing with people in the > water at Mahia Beach on the east coast of the North Island, probably > meant the difference between life and death for the whales, he said. > > Mr Smith had been working for over an hour-and-a-half to save the > two pygmy sperm whales, which had repeatedly become stranded despite > his attempts to push them back out to sea. > > A dolphin, named Moko by locals, appeared and guided the whales to > safety after apparently communicating with them, he said. > > The whales, a three-metre female and her 1.5-metre male calf, were > apparently confused by a sandbar just off the beach and could not > find their way back to open water. > > Mr Smith had been alerted at daybreak by a neighbour about the two > stranded whales on Mahia Beach near his home. > > "Over the next hour and a half I pushed them back out to sea two or > three times and they were very reluctant to move offshore," he said. > > "I was starting to get cold and wet and they were becoming tired. I > was reaching the stage where I was thinking it's about time to give > up here, I've done as much as I can." > > In that situation, whales are often humanely killed to end their > suffering. > > Moko to the rescue > > Mr Smith said Moko arrived on the scene and he could hear the whales > and the dolphin making noises, apparently to one another. > > "The whales made contact with the dolphin and she basically escorted > them about 200 metres parallel with the beach to the edge of the > sandbar," he said. > > "Then she did a right-angle turn through quite a narrow channel and > escorted them out to sea and we haven't seen those whales since. > > "What the communication was I do not know, and I was not aware > dolphins could communicate with pygmy sperm whales, but something > happened that allowed Moko to guide those two whales to safety." > > Soon after, Moko was seen playing with swimmers on Mahia Beach, one > of her favourite activities since she took up residence at the beach > nearly a year ago. > > The two-metre bottlenose dolphin has become well known for her > antics at Mahia, which include playing in the surf with swimmers, > approaching boats to be patted and pushing kayaks through the water > with her snout. > > "She likes people with flippers on, she's attracted to them, she's > attracted to kayaks and boogy boards as well, and that'll keep her > occupied for some time," Mr Smith said. > > Such close interaction with humans is very rare among dolphins but > not unknown. > > "She's become isolated from her pod obviously for one reason or > another, but obviously made Mahia home just at the moment." > > Mahia gets up to 30 whale strandings a year, most of which end with > the whales having to be put down. > > "I don't know if next time we have a whale stranding we can get her > to come in again. She certainly saved the day for us and the whales > this time." > > - AFP _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
