6 small killer whales stranded at Qijin; after rescue, 5 are already swimming leisurely in the holding pool
On the evening of the 25th, a report came in of 6 small killer whales stranded together on the shore of Qijin in Kaohsiung. By the early morning of the 26th, the 5 surviving individuals had been transported to the Sicao holding pool of the National Cheng Kung University Marine Biology and Cetacean Research Center; at 8 a.m., the 5 small killer whales were already able to float and swim as a group in the holding pool!
Ocean Conservation Administration Director-General Huang Hsiang-wen said that because the current holding pool is already full, and considering that mass strandings are relatively rare and that there may be further live strandings later, units with large pools and circulation systems have already been coordinated to stand by for support; the National Cheng Kung University Cetacean Center also announced a volunteer need on its Facebook fan page, hoping to increase manpower for blood tests and recording physical condition.
The Ocean Conservation Administration explained that on the afternoon of the 25th, anglers saw a pod of 20 to 30 cetaceans off Qijin in Kaohsiung. In the evening, the Fifth Coastal Patrol Office of the Coast Guard Administration received a report of 6 stranded small killer whales. The Ocean Conservation Administration Marine Animal Rescue Network (MARN) immediately rushed to the scene and carried out nearly 6 hours of emergency handling and hoisting operations. At the scene, 1 small killer whale could not be saved despite rescue efforts; the other 5 small killer whales, whose vital signs were stable, have been moved to the Sicao holding pool of the National Cheng Kung University Cetacean Center.
Because killer whales have a habit of moving in groups, the Ocean Conservation Administration assessed that among the stranded small killer whales, 1 was in poor physical condition, and the pod, in order to accompany and support the individual in need of help together, ended up appearing as a group at the stranding site; at 5 a.m. on the 26th, the Ocean Conservation Administration also received reports of 2 stranded individuals dead in nearby waters. At present, the National Cheng Kung University holding pool is fully loaded. Huang Hsiang-wen said that calls have been made to coordinate with units with pools and circulation systems to prepare to help in case of need, and also called on private organizations that have a pool or swimming pool with a diameter of 6 m or more and space accessible to a crane to contact the Ocean Conservation Administration and the National Cheng Kung University Cetacean Research Center.
