It all began Saturday, March 30, 1991—the day before Easter. Until the call came in, this began like any other day at DRC. Then, at 9:15 a.m., a marina in Key West called to tell DRC that as many as twenty pilot whales were floundering in shallow water off the southern coast of Key West, about five miles out. In just ten minutes, the course of our next four weeks had been drastically altered; at first, we didn’t realize how drastically.
Due to the size of this stranding, we contacted the Miami Seaquarium to request personnel assistance as we dispatched a team to Key West with equipment and rescue boats. As we enlisted the help of the U.S. Navy to reach the stranding site, a Florida Marine patrol airplane pinpointed the location and number of whales. The crew reported eight whales later identified as short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus, stranded on the flats, while others were circling in the area. They also reported sharks in the area, giving the already critical situation a new sense of urgency.
Some members of the rescue team engaged in the long, grueling process of herding whales off the sandbars, pulling, pushing and lifting whales onto floating mats to be towed to safety in deeper water. Other members of the team dealt with the problem of finding a temporary home for the sick and injured pilot whales in Key West before nightfall. Naval officers assisting with the rescue obtained authorization to construct holding pens in a former submarine basin at the Key West Naval Base. We successfully transported five whales to the basin; the other three whales were dead upon arrival.
One of the five whales that made it was strong enough to swim freely in the sub basin. We believed that she was in good health and only stayed near because she was the mother of one of the stranded whales. She swam calmly near the other whales and responded to their vocalizations with whistles of her own.
By nightfall, the Miami Seaquarium crew had arrived and we shifted from rescue mode into administering intensive care. Blood samples were taken and the whales were rehydrated. The Navy, having assisted us in assessing, rescuing, and providing a temporary holding site, now provided even more help by issuing an Army veterinarian and Navy divers to assist us in the medical treatment, as well as in covering 24-hour watches. All night long, DRC staff and volunteers remained in the water to comfort and support the whales. They recorded heart rates and respirations every hour to monitor the whales’ conditions and gather valuable data.
Dawn of the next day found us planning for the next step: where could we take the animals for rehabilitation? The planning was interrupted by another stranding report—there were two young pilot whales stranded on a flat nearby. We responded and found sharks were beginning to attack one of the young males. Without debate we slid into the water and began removing the sharks from the whale’s back (Please kids, don’t try this at home!). The Navy transport boat then took the whales and us back to the sub basin.
Serious consideration was given to where a long-term rehabilitation could take place. A few years before, three small pilot whales ran up a bill of thousands of dollars in a short time. Thankfully, Miami Seaquarium offered the use of their facility, and we agreed to loan staff members to assist in the rehabilitation. The three whales whose conditions were most stable were transported to Miami that evening in a Coast Guard C-130 transport plane.
On day three, Air Force helicopters landed right at the doorstep of the whales’ holding area. The last of the Key West whales flew to Miami Seaquarium, and the assigned DRC staff said goodbye to Grassy Key and headed to Miami to help with the rehabilitation.
The saga was far from over. At first light Tuesday morning, the DRC rescue crew was on the road for Key West once again. Another pilot whale had beached during the night, this time near a Key West luxury hotel, and was discovered by a couple of hotel guests. Just about the time DRC staff arrived, those around the large whale, named Clyde by hotel staff, felt an unidentified shape slide by their legs and saw blood in the cloudy water. Their first thought was “shark”! Had it bitten Clyde? After a few moments of confusion and rushing to protect the whale, the small black shape was discovered to be a baby pilot whale. Clyde had just given birth to a premature, stillborn calf.
We will never know whether the miscarriage occurred because of the stranding or the stranding occurred because of birthing problems. Nevertheless, Clyde was immediately re-named Bonnie, and transported to a makeshift rehabilitation center in Marathon, a few miles from DRC.
Bonnie remained there for a week under the watchful care of DRC staff until her condition seemed stable enough for transport to Miami Seaquarium to rejoin the whales we believed were her family pod. Miami Seaquarium decided they had room for one more eleven-foot whale. At the Marathon site, there was not enough space to land helicopters or operate large equipment, so DRC adapted a transport truck into a mobile water tank. This provided a comfortable ride for Bonnie to Miami. Before departing, we made a quick stop at the local fire station in order to fill it with water.
Bonnie arrived at the Seaquarium and was reunited with the pod. As soon as Bonnie entered the water, a large male from the pod, named “Shipwreck,” swam towards her, vocalizing. Both of the whales began to scuffle. We quickly calmed them both by separating them briefly. Once they were together again, Bonnie and Shipwreck became inseparable. The bond between them was so tight; Shipwreck would not allow any of the rescue staff to go anywhere near Bonnie. He was forcefully chasing and biting after anyone who attempted to approach. Two days after her arrival, Bonnie started eating whole fish. She continued to improve, spending her time close to Shipwreck.
Just when we thought it was safe to go back to a normal schedule… another stranding was reported, this time in our own backyard! Pilot whales were stranded on Grassy Key, just a few hundred yards from DRC. In fact, calls of stranded pilot whales were coming in from all parts of the Keys. Calling the Seaquarium for help was no longer an option—their hands were full! There were pilot whales stranded on Cudjoe Key, about 40 miles south of DRC. More whales were found near Islamorada, in the Upper Keys.
DRC put out a public cry for help on the local radio stations, looking for adequate rehabilitation sites. Thankfully, a local Grassy Key couple offered the use of their boat basin. DRC moved four of the whales there, four others were taken to a dolphin facility in Key Largo, and the others died before we could attempt a transport. Most of the whales that were transported did not survive very long. This pod was in bad shape when they were found. Some of the whales’ tail flukes, dorsal fins, and pectoral fins were deteriorating. Blood samples showed the presence of morbillivirus that the animals must have been fighting for quite some time. Veterinarians made the decision to euthanize some of the animals that were fatally ill. Thankfully, some of the whales were responding to treatment and grew stronger every day. This was enough to keep the rescuers going!
Six months later, we felt all our efforts had been rewarded when Bonnie and Shipwreck were released along with two whales from the third stranding. They were boated many miles out into the Atlantic Ocean, where spotter planes had found many pods of pilot whales. After moving the whales carefully into the water, rescuers had the indescribable satisfaction of watching them swim away, plunge downward, and disappear into the open sea. Four other whales from that pod were rehabilitated and also released. This was the first successful rehabilitation and release of short finned pilot whales. Total cost of this stranding to all rescue facilities combined is estimated to be in excess of $500,000.00.
Bonnie and Shipwreck were fitted with satellite tags to monitor their progress. Over several days, they were tracked going to the Bahamas and then coming back to Miami. Both were headed back to the Bahamas when the tags apparently malfunctioned.
Due to the presence of morbillivirus, that was the last dolphin stranding DRC participated in.
