Sometime, we would hear in the news about some animal being stranded on the beach. These underwater creatures unfortunately could swim to close with the shoreline of water and stuck on the sand of the beach. In many cases, the species which frequently got stranded were whales and dolphins. Today article would analyze the reasons why dolphins often stranded on beach and how to save their lives – in case, if one day you ever found one by yourself. These wild animals behavioral was unpredictable. They have their own mode and mechanism – used it to help them survive in the wildlife.
Fishes and other mammals which lived underwater are highly intelligent more than we ever thought. A study reviled that fish do remembered and capable of recognized peoples faces. They were equipped and designed to adjust and adapt with surround ecology of theirs. We should remember they lived underwater, which the fish point of view much different than the land creatures. They faced different obstacles, surfaces, and ocean’s anomaly – a lot of time, they were dragged with nature’s forces – even the fat animal such whales can’t escape from those forces. Moreover, we would peel deeper and how this phenomenon could happen – the reasons why dolphins often stranded on beach and how to save their lives.
The Cetacean Stranding Phenomenon
The stranded phenomenon that occurred in some species of underwater animals known as the cetacean stranding phenomenon or the commoners would call it as beaching. This phenomenon happened when dolphin or whale when purposely strand themselves on land – mostly on the beach. The stranding cases was escalated faster than we could anticipate. Since 2013, the case of stranded bottlenose dolphins was raised in significant numbers, from New York to Florida which on the US east cost.
Some explanations had been declared but still, there is no absolute reason for this committed behavioral. Furthermore, we would learn some of the theories that justify the reasons behind this act.
Sonar
Apparently active sonar could be dangerous and lead them to beaching themselves. Being reported that cetacean happened in short interval after the military sonar was active around the area. This theory supported by the resulted that took from the dead’s body of whale and found some internal injuries in those stranded animals. Julia Whitty from The Fragile Edge reviled, military equipment called LFA sonar apparently was most the loudest sound that put into the oceans – however, LFA sonar is the low frequency active sonar.
The more insane fact is, the U.S. military already planned about 80% of world’s ocean would be deploy with the LFA sonar. With the power approximate about two hundred forty decibels, would surely would enough tool to kill all of the whales and dolphins out there.
On Purpose Stranding
Some of the species, such killer whales are intentionally strand themselves due to hunt some seals near the shoreline, and then head back to the ocean with the next waves. This theory was analyzed around 1970s, and proved by hundreds of whales that inherit this hunt method to their next generation.
Disease
One of the reason for dolphins or whales stranded themselves is disease. Some researchers are taken some bloods samples of dead dolphins but yet, there’s no clear explanations on why disease caused these dolphins beaching themselves. Apparently this issue was rapidly discussed by official parties.
How to Safe Stranded Dolphins
Ask Other Parties Help
- Do not act by yourself, especially if you never face this kind of situation before. The most important thing you should remember is to keep every parties safe – the dolphin and the people. So, the first thing and perhaps the best option you could do is call the authorities. The professional people like them would know how to handle the situations and help the dolphin.
- You could also report the situation to the nearest marine animal rescue services, although perhaps the police would do this part, still, it’s worth to try, especially because you’re the one who notice the dolphin presence at the first place.
- Make sure you notice all the characteristic of the dolphin to give the authorities complete information to handle the dolphin on a right way.
- Please make sure that the dolphin is still alive. You could analyze the blowhole which dolphin use as the exhalation. You could observe the animal without touch it. Wait at least about twenty minutes, because dolphin could hold their breath round that time. If there’s no a sign of exhalation, then a big chance it’s already dead.
Be Careful
- Don’t ever try to replace the dolphin, keep them where they are. If the dolphin had injures, movement could make it worse. Just stay with the dolphin and wait the professional arrive. They have more proper equipment to help the situation.
- Marine animals contained with disease, if you’re not careful, there’s a chance you could be contracting. Especially for children, do not let any children touch the dolphin. You could wash your hands in case you already touch it.
- Be careful, even though this animal was stranded, they were still are wild animals. They programmed to defend themselves in threaten situation. Your presence might be bring dreadful feeling for the dolphin, so keep a distance.
- Stay away from the tail and face. Fact is, the tail was the most powerful feature on dolphin – do not – recklessly touch the tail if you won’t be strike by it.
Monitor the Dolphin
- As you wait for the arrival of professional, you could try to roll dolphin onto its belly. If the dolphin lying in side or back, this position could block the blowhole – whether cause by water or sand. During the process, keep your hands off the tail or fins. Do it if you have courage and there are some people who assist you.
- Frequently dose the dolphin with water. You could use wet towel and put it over their bodies. If there’s a bucket around, you could use it to pour the water directly over the dolphin. Please, be gentle and make sure the blowhole safe.
- Create the shade for dolphins to protect them from direct contact with the sunlight. You could use umbrella or other tools as the shades.
- Make the more comfortable by dig a hole under the pectoral fins. Do remember that dolphin’s pectoral fins did not designed for flat surfaces. You also could dig a hole under the chest and pour out the water in the hole, it would help the dolphin to release some pressures of the flippers and lungs.
- Let the professionals do their job, and get out of their ways. Those people know exactly what they do. You could help them by making sure no one would interfere those people whose on duty.