Hundreds Of People Work Together To Rescue 5 Whales Stranded On The Beach

Humanity at its best! It's amazing what we can accomplish when we band together for a common cause.

In Redington Beach, Florida, five pilot whales were stranded in shallow water and thanks to the efforts of the Coast Guard, scientists, marine biologists, and veterinarians( from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), oh, and just a small army of beachgoers who volunteered.

Posted by AmyBrown

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The sun was climbing into the sky and the tide going out, time was crucial. First course of action, the teams of people set up shades over the whales to protect them from sun damage. There is a whale underneath each one of those shades pictured here.

Via DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
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The scientists aren't sure what drove the whales to swim to close towards land thus stranding themselves.

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“Something is obviously wrong here. It could be that one whale is sick and beached and the others followed, or they could all be sick,” said Carlee Wendell, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium spokesperson.

Via DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
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According to Mike Walsh, a University of Florida professor of marine biology, thankfully, the whales weren’t showing major signs of distress throughout the ordeal.

Via DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
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And once marine biologists confirmed the whales were healthy enough to be relocated...

Via DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
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Teams of volunteers assembled to lift them using canvas slings, with over a dozen people working together to lift each whale!

Via DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
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“It was really hard work,” said Thomas Nuhfer, a student from Clearwater Marine Aquarium, “But it was so great to see people who didn’t even know each other come together and work together to help.”

Via DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
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And by 4pm, all five whales were successfully hoisted out of the shallow water -- drawing a cheer from the crowd that had gathered

Three of the larger whales were placed in boats to be taken back out to sea. the two younger whales were transported safely to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for medical treatment and testing. If they're healthy, they too will be transported and released back into the sea. All the whales were given satellite tags, which could help the scientists figure out where they are from and how they came to be stranded out here.

Via DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times