Fight to save humpback whale calf
Media release: 18 August 2008
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is today considering what might be the best way to manage a baby humpback whale off the coast of Pittwater, which appears to have been abandoned by its mother.
NPWS has been liaising with a number of whale and veterinary experts, ORRCA , the RSPCA and Sea World, to work out how to best manage the situation, but unfortunately options are limited.
NPWS Regional Manager Sydney North Chris McIntosh said: "Whale biologists from Macquarie University, University of Queensland and Taronga Zoo agree that the calf has most likely been abandoned by its mother, but we're not sure why.
"The calf has spent the last day or so in Pittwater and we believe it has been nuzzling up to a moored vessel in an attempt to find milk.
"NPWS - in partnership with NSW Maritime and NSW Water Police - has been able to move the moored vessel out past the Barrenjoey Headland with the calf following.
"The calf left the vessel about 1 km offshore. From there it may be able to reunite with the mother or other whales returning south although the chance of this is slim.
"We get one or two baby humpback whales which wash ashore on NSW Beaches each year.
"A similar event of this kind occurred in the Harrington Estuary in 1999, where after an initial stranding and return to sea, the rescued whale subsequently died and washed up on a beach a few days later.
"There is a possibility that this calf will not make it, and in anticipation of this, NPWS and ORRCA whale stranding teams are on standby.
Mr McIntosh said: "Although this is distressing, we have to remember that animals sometimes abandon their young. This is a natural occurrence. The best thing we can do is to shepherd the animal and hope it remains in the ocean."
Contact: Susie Summers