A beached minke whale survived 6 hours on shore to make it back to the water thanks to a helping hand from the locals, according to a report from Alaska.
In the town of Seldovia, on Kachemak Bay, a 15-foot minke whale was beached on the rocks at low tide, believed to be an incidence of poisoning by an algal bloom that could have killed it in just 20 minutes.
Seldovia Village Tribe responded to an Alaska SeaLife Center advisory about the incident, the location of which the center asked to be kept secret. They dispatched their environmental coordinator.
Stephen Payton’s job description includes rescuing beached whales, but this was his first encounter in a 10-year career with a live one.
“I just went out as fast as I could, not really knowing what to expect, and it’s a long ways out there down MacDonald Spit,” he said. “So luckily, one of the locals that was responding was able to pick me up on a four wheeler and drive me.”
When he arrived, a group of about 15 locals had formed a bucket line, pouring seawater onto the whale’s soft underbelly, which along with being substantially scratched up by the rocks, could have become damaged in the Sun’s rays.
The locals had also wrapped wet beach towels around it while they waited to come up with a plan on how to rescue it. Minke whales are the world’s second smallest baleen wheel, meaning, like humpbacks and blue whales, they eat krill using a special filtering organ in their throat. Even still, at 15 feet long, it would have weighed at least 3 tons.
The beast was thrashing around from time to time, and no one felt comfortable trying to manhandle it. But luckily as the tide came back in, it freed the whale which was reported in the area for days afterwards swimming and spouting.
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Typically, a minke whale can drown in between 10 and 20 minutes on shore. The way the animal was oriented on the beach, lying on its side with its blowhole facing the sea, was very dangerous. The selfless work from the locals allowed that 20 minutes to become 6 hours, when the tide’s eventual arrival allowed the whale to right itself.
“We are grateful for the calm presence and respect shown by those nearby during this time,” Seldovia Tribe wrote on Facebook. “Moments like these remind us of the powerful connection between our community and the natural world around us.”
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