Adrian and Pat Rescue Endangered Species Of Northern Right Whale

Local Va Beach Fishermen, Captain "Pat Foster" and Mate "Adrian Colaprete", of the "Wave Runner" charter fishing boat based out of Ruddee Inlet, rescue endangered Northern Right Whale.

They were off the coast of Virginia Beach yesterday about 50 miles helping a team of scientists conduct research studies offshore. Pat spotted a whale swimming irregularly in the distance and decided to have a closer look. The team identified the whale as an endangered species of the Northern Right Whale and noted the whale was in serious danger. The whale was tangled in some sort of fishing ropes or trap line and was slowly dragging the fishing gear behind it.
Pat and Adrian decided they would have to try and assess the situation a little further and find out if they could do something to help the whale. After patterning the whales movements the team decided Adrian would get in the water with the whale and take a closer look. When Adrian swam up to the whale he sensed the whale was welcoming his help and he made the decision to cut the rope tangling the whale to the line of fishing gear. After the rope was cut the tangled fishing gear sank to the bottom of the ocean and the whale swam away free.

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Thursday, July 4, 2013

Whale carcass may be towed out to sea to save pod of up to eight killer whales

Up to eight whales remain near Fraser Island, Queensland after mother and calf died and there are fears pod may be stranded

Australian Associated Press
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 4 July 2013 04.20 EDT

Killer whales stranded near Queensland's Fraser Island. Photograph: Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing/PR IMAGE

Marine experts are contemplating towing the carcass of a killer whale out to sea to encourage members of its pod to move into deeper waters off Queensland's coast.
Up to eight whales remain near Fraser Island where two whales, a mother and her calf, died after becoming stranded on Wednesday morning.
Rescuers fear the pod could become stranded again.
A Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services spokesman, Peter Wright, says if the whales don't move on they'll look at ways to coax them out to the open ocean.
"The ideal thing to do would be to let them do it themselves," he told reporters in Hervey Bay on Thursday.

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Qld whale rescue 'successful'

Thursday, July 04, 2013 » 11:47am

Authorities may herd a pod of killer whales, which remains off Queensland's Fraser Island, out to open sea as they fear the whales could strand again.
Two of the whales died, reportedly a mother and her calf, around 9am (AEST) on Wednesday.
It was hoped the surviving five would swim out to sea after being freed later that day but they remain in the area.
Sea World's marine expert Trevor Long says the whales may not have moved on because they're mourning the loss of the other whales.
'This is a family unit and the loss of those two whales out of that family unit is extremely strong,' he told AAP.
'That's why they haven't left straight away but that's not to say they're not going to go.'

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