A humpback whale stranded off the coast of Oregon was euthanized on Monday following a failed rescue attempt from several organizations and agencies.
On Saturday, the young whale was found washed ashore near San Marine state park, KOMO News reported. Over the weekend, individuals rallied together to try to help the mammal, who appeared to be caught in a fishing net, but were unsuccessful.
Oregon state police showed up at 10am on Sunday to clear the area, and a rescue mission was launched on Monday morning.
Trained rescuers tried to wrap a bridle around the whale and attach it to a boat out at sea in an attempt to turn her towards the ocean, Lisa Ballance from the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University said, according to OPB.
But as high tide approached, the rope separated and the bridle slipped off the whale. Ballance told KATU that the situation was “rapidly” changing, noting how complex it is to move such a large animal especially with the risk of injury. She added that a full-scale rescue effort was not possible due to limited available resources.
When the attempt to reorient the whale and tow her back to sea proved unsuccessful, experts determined that euthanasia was the most humane option, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), which is responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat.
“The prolonged period of time onshore had left the whale weak and unlikely to survive. Veterinarians euthanized the whale late afternoon on November 17. Responders will conduct a necropsy to assess the animal’s overall health and help determine why it [was] stranded,” Noaa said in the statement.
Other methods of rescue, such as refloating and even the rope and pulley system that the rescuers attempted, are challenging to do and not always successful. Similarly, pulling a large whale back to the ocean is considered inhumane and has its risks, as it could lead to severe injury. Dredging a channel for a whale would also be impractical, since it has historically led to whale drowning, Noaa said.
“It’s a very sad, tragic situation,” Ballance said. “There’s no way to spin this positively. I know the general public is heartbroken … It’s hard to watch, hard to experience.”
