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5 whales dead after mass stranding on Maui beach

Aug. 29, 2019

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VIDEO COURTESY JASON KECK
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said Thursday that four of the 10 small melon-headed whales that stranded on a Maui beach have been euthanized, and a whale calf was found dead nearby.
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COURTESY NOAA FISHERIES

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it is investigating why at least 10 small whales stranded themselves on a Maui beach Thursday morning.
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COURTESY KARI PLAS VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Four of the beached whales were euthanized while the rest were refloated into deeper water and may have survived, NOAA Regional Marine Mammal Response Coordinator David Schofield said Thursday.
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COURTESY KARI PLAS VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

The dead whales were transported by cargo plane to Honolulu for post-mortem exams to look for signs of disease or any other reason that would lead to the stranding.
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COURTESY KARI PLAS VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

The whales — possibly melon-headed whales or a similar small species — appeared on the beach in front of the Sugar Beach Resort early Thursday as others from the same pod swam about close to shore. One calf not part of the original 10 later washed up nearby, Schofield said.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

NOAA Regional Marine Mammal Response Coordinator David Schofield said there was no obvious cause for the stranding, including no link to vessel activity. And while some stranding events are associated with sonar or other underwater noise, “We don’t necessarily believe this is related to that,” he said.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

The rescue was supported by the U.S. Coast Guard, the state Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, Maui County, the Maui Police Department and scores of other volunteers.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

Native Hawaiian practitioners also conducted protocol, including pule (prayer) before and after the whales were euthanized.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

In a statement, NOAA said, “We have been working closely with Hawaiian cultural practitioners during this stranding response. We will continue to work with practitioners and other community members to the maximum extent possible, while we fulfill our mandate to conduct stranding response and post-mortem exams under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.”
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

Some Hawaiians expressed disappointment that NOAA put down the four small whales.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner Kealoha Pisciotta said the whales are the bodily form of the sea god Kanaloa, and she and about 10 other practitioners wanted to float the whales so they can swim away or die dignified deaths. She said NOAA officials wouldn’t let them do it.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

NOAA Regional Marine Mammal Response Coordinator David Schofield said a NOAA veterinarian determined that the four whales were in grave condition and nothing more could be done to save them. The whales, he said, were first sedated and then humanely euthanized to relieve their suffering.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

The remaining six whales showed signs that they might survive, so they were refloated back into the ocean. Two of the six ended up re-stranding themselves again and were eventually helped into deeper water.
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COURTESY VERNON KALANIKAU

University of Hawaii Stranding Lab will conduct post-mortem exams, the results of which could take months to complete.
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