Reportedly, experts believe that the whales were migrating towards Antarctica, but they entered the river system by mistake. But the whale was set free on Monday after staying in the river for nearly two weeks and rejoined the migration. Rescuers and scientists launched an operation early on Tuesday seeking to save some 270 pilot whales that are stranded in a bay on the Australian island of Tasmania. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. Don’t miss the message, Migrant workers' deaths: Govt says it has no data. In addition to changes in food availability, as sea ice decreases, whales are running into more and more ship traffic in these remote waters, said Amy Willoughby, a NOAA Fisheries marine mammal biologist at the Alaska center. “That will be in our favour. Is a black skin related to melanin's relation with adrenaline? presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution The study will involve multiple cruises to the whales’ feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica and the coastlines of the three continents where they breed. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. CANBERRA, Australia - A humpback whale has found its way back to sea weeks after getting lost in a murky, crocodile-infested river in northern Australia, while an estimated 270 pilot whales … As gray whale migration reaches its peak, scientists fear another unexplained die-off ... She covers the coast and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2020 for explanatory reporting. Dr Vendl collected airway mucus from 20 whales in Hervey Bay, Queensland, during the humpback's return leg to Antarctica when the whales were several months into their migration in August 2017. While aboard, tourists learn many facts and stories about whales. More than 60 swam by the point, just south of Point Lobos, on Saturday—including a mother and her newborn calf. Pods of gray whales can be found in Depoe Bay in considerable numbers. No cause was ever determined. The whales are stranded at three sites in the area. Kindly visit the Manage my subscription page to discover the benefits of this programme. Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. "The whale made its way out on the high tides of this weekend and we're pleased it appeared to be in good condition and not suffering any ill effects," said Kakadu National Park manager Feach Moyle in a statement. | Mobile version. Concerned, NOAA called for an investigation in May, bringing together researchers from the Arctic to Mexico to explore the strandings in a uniform, systematic manner. There have been no previous recorded sightings of whales in remote East Alligator River in the Northern Territory’s World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, and no one can explain why at least three of the blue water mammals ventured so deep inland in a river with little visibility. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. We, however, have a request. Bubbles are exhaled as the whale swims in a spiral below a patch of water dense with food. “He or she looked really relaxed, was cleaning all the mud off itself actually, and we were just so relieved that this whale had actually made itself out of the East Alligator River,” Palmer said.

The park shared the video with a caption that read, "'Thanks, I've had a whale of a time! The curtain of bubbles confines the prey to a small area in the middle of which one or more whales surface.