What should people do if they find a whale or dolphin stranded in the ice?
It might be possible to rescue the animals depending on the circumstances, but it’s important to find experts familiar with the best rescue methods, says Andrew Reid, a co-ordinator the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) in Nova Scotia. “Dragging the animal by their tail is something you definitely wouldn’t want to do,” he said. That method could dislocate the animal’s spine or pull them underwater. Reid said involving boats is always risky. “Anytime you bring boats near animals, there’s always the possibility of hitting them,” he said. He added that frozen seas are also a dangerous place for people. Tonya Wimmer, president of MARS, said rescuers face risks such as dehydration, hypothermia or even being hurt by the animal itself, depending on the conditions. “People will do some crazy things to save an animal,” she said, adding that they sometimes think of the animal before themselves. “Which is lovely, but we have to make sure people’s lives aren’t in danger while we do these thing
It might be possible to rescue the animals depending on the circumstances, but it’s important to find experts familiar with the best rescue methods, says Andrew Reid, a co-ordinator the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) in Nova Scotia. “Dragging the animal by their tail is something you definitely wouldn’t want to do,” he said. That method could dislocate the animal’s spine or pull them underwater. Reid said involving boats is always risky. “Anytime you bring boats near animals, there’s always the possibility of hitting them,” he said. He added that frozen seas are also a dangerous place for people. Tonya Wimmer, president of MARS, said rescuers face risks such as dehydration, hypothermia or even being hurt by the animal itself, depending on the conditions. “People will do some crazy things to save an animal,” she said, adding that they sometimes think of the animal before themselves.
