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Current Cetacean Rescues
This is not an exhaustive list, but if you know of an ongoing rescue that I don't have listed, please message me! I will try to update this page daily during active rescues.
T146 Leah
Species: Orcinus Orca, Killer Whale
Location: Rural coastal southeast Alaska, USA
Sex: Unknown
Year of Birth: 2008
Age: 13
Date of stranding discovery: Thursday, July 29th, 2021
Date of refloat: Thursday, July 29th, 2021
T146D Leah is a member of the Bigg's Transients clan. They doesn't always travel with their mother or members of their direct family. On July 28th, there was a tsunami warning and storm in southeast Alaska. It's thought that Leah may have stranded because of this storm and the disorientation and extreme tidal swells it caused. Leah stranded and was discovered on July 29th. They cut their stomach on the rocks as they tried to move. Kind rescuers poured water on her as NOAA made their way to her.
NOAA arrived later that evening and refloated Leah as the tide came in. A group of unknown Bigg's were hanging out nearby and Leah joined them. They have some cuts on their stomach, which should hopefully heal soon. Whale watchers in Alaska will keep an eye out for them in the next couple weeks to ensure that they are okay.
Photo of Leah courtesy of Tara Neilson on Twitter.
Toa
Species: Orcinus Orca, Killer Whale
Location: Plimmerton, New Zealand
Age: 2-6 months old
Date of Rescue: Sunday, July 11th, 2021
Date of Death: July 24th, 2021
Toa was thought to be a member of New Zealand's stingray hunting orca ecotype. He and his family were hunting near Wellington, New Zealand, when he beached himself. Rescuers from the Jonah Project and from New Zealand's Department of Conservation attempted to refloat him twice, but he restranded both times.
He was transported to a boat ramp in Plimmerton, a bit north of where he stranded, and was cared for by volunteers and by Dr. Ingrid Visser. They gave him electrolytes, fish oil, and milk via feeding tube and attempted to locate his family. Boats and helicopters were on the lookout for nearby orca pods, but none were ever found.
Toa was healthy for the first thirteen days after his rescue. Loro Parque expressed interest in him, and offered their killer whale milk formula for his care.
On July 14th, 2021, weather in Plimmerton took a turn for the worse, and with no verifiable orca sightings, Toa was moved to a small manmade pool just above the boat ramp for his safety. He seemed to be still healthy but becoming more stressed.
On July 20th, 2021 Toa was given kelp in the man made pool, which he seemed to like. Previously, it was believed that Toa was 4-6 months old, but that estimate has been changed to 2-6 months. Toa could not eat solid food because he did not have teeth, because he was so young.
On July 22nd, Toa was moved from the pool back into the sea pen.
On the evening of July 24th, 2021, Toa's health took a turn downhill, and he passed away in the arms of the rescuers who loved him. He likely had pneumonia, contracted from the water in his lungs after he stranded. It was suspected from the outset that Toa probably had pneumonia, and he was young and weakened already, and ultimately unable to fight it. Rescuers did everything in their power to save his life.
No orca calf rescued aged 1 year or under has ever survived. Calves that young require their mother to survive, and without her, Toa just couldn't make it.
The aboriginal tribe inhabiting the land where Toa lived is called the Ngāti Toa Rangatira. He was named after them. After his death, tribal members took his body and performed rites and a ceremony so that his spirit could rest. His body was later buried on tribal lands.
Even in illness, Toa was energetic and cheerful, and he will be remembered by those who cared for him, by New Zealanders, and by the world over. I hope he is resting now, and that he is no longer in pain.
Images of Toa courtesy of the NZ Department of Conservation and whalerescue.org