近日,一头体长近20米的抹香鲸在浙江省宁波市象山县附近海域搁浅,经过长达20小时的接力救援,4月20日凌晨5时30分左右,在渔政船的牵引和护航下,这头抹香鲸被拖拽到相对深水区域,恢复了自主下潜的能力。
视频来源:央视新闻
A stranded sperm whale was successfully dragged into waters 28 meters in depth and swam away after a 20-hour relay rescue in Xiangshan County, east China’s Zhejiang Province on Wednesday.
4月19日上午8时许,宁波市象山县石浦镇铜瓦门大桥外,半边山海域附近,渔民发现有一头目测超过10米的鲸鱼搁浅。象山县海洋与渔业执法大队队员随即赶到现场开展救护。
带着施救船的渔政部门工作人员很快赶来,准备把鲸鱼拖带到深水区。然而,可能是这个“庞然大物”实在太重,救援没有奏效。到达现场的救援专家初步判断,这头抹香鲸估计体重超过70吨。据了解,抹香鲸属于国家二级保护动物,是体型最大的齿鲸,头部可占身体的三分之一,是潜水最深、潜水时间最长的哺乳动物。
4月19日拍摄的搁浅鲸救援现场(无人机照片)。新华社发(象山县消防救援大队提供)
当日中午时分,海水逐渐退去,鲸鱼完全裸露在滩涂上。救援人员当即决定,先要想方设法为鲸鱼“保命”。可行的措施是暂时进行原地降温保湿,等夜间涨潮时再另想办法。
救援人员小心翼翼地拿起水桶,泼水为鲸鱼保湿。曾有人提议使用机动水泵,然而这个想法最终被否决——没过膝盖的滩涂淤泥,根本无法承受机械设备的重量。打水,泼水;打水,泼水……整个下午,救援人员都在重复着同样的动作。时间一分一秒流逝,不少救援人员的心都提到了嗓子眼。
图源:央视新闻
The whale, measuring 20 meters long, was spotted on a beach near Shipu in Xiangshan County on Tuesday morning. Rescuers rushed to the scene, kept splashing water onto the whale to keep its skin moist, and waited for the rising tide to tug it back to deep waters.
宁波市鱼人水生野生动物救护中心工作人员王亮亮表示,营救抹香鲸是自己职业生涯中最难忘的经历。在把照片发送给海洋动物专家后确认,这是一条雄性抹香鲸,多在深水活动,在浅海比较少见。
图源:央视新闻
"Rescuing a stranded whale is definitely the most impressive experience of my career," said Wang Liangliang, a staff member from the Ningbo Yuren rescue center.
"We sent pictures of it to aquatic animal experts who later identified it as a male sperm whale, a species that is rarely seen in shallow sea areas like Xiangshan," Wang said.
夜幕降临,海水终于开始涨潮。救援人员在鲸鱼尾部套上绳子,准备借助潮水的力量再次帮助鲸鱼离开搁浅地,鲸鱼的生命状态也在不断提升。
当日晚间22时,象山附近海域潮位高涨,已基本可以覆盖住鲸鱼身体。救援人员决定登船,通过绳索牵引帮助鲸鱼回到深海。鲸鱼非常配合,慢慢跟着船游。时不时又摆摆尾巴,似乎在跟人们“道谢”。
午夜十分,抹香鲸已经游至距海平面九米深的海域,王亮亮表示,该体型的抹香鲸安全水深应该超过20米。
In order to facilitate the whale's rescue, the team needed to keep it alive until high tide by ensuring it was covered with water and its blowhole was not obstructed.
At high tide, the whale, which weighed multiple tons, was connected by rope to several boats where it was gently pulled back into the sea.
By midnight, the whale was at a depth offshore of nine meters.
The safe water depth for whales of this size should be deeper than 20 meters, according to Wang.
20日5时许,在渔政船只的护航下,鲸鱼成功抵达目的海域。工作人员切断牵引绳索,鲸鱼成功脱困回归。
视频来源:央视新闻
据当地媒体报道,浙江海洋大学水生野生动物专家赵胜龙表示,近年来,浙江沿海地区曾多次发生鲸鱼搁浅事件。今年7月,搁浅在浙江海岸的12头瓜头鲸中有9头成功获救。
In a group interview with local media, Zhao Shenglong, an aquatic wildlife expert from Zhejiang Ocean University, said the coastal areas in Zhejiang province have had whale strandings several times in recent years.
In July, nine of the 12 melon-headed whales stranded on Zhejiang's coast were rescued.
鲸鱼为什么屡屡搁浅,却无法自救呢?发现鲸类动物搁浅,我们能如何帮助它们呢?戳下方视频了解↓
视频来源:新华网
综合来源:中新网 浙江日报 新华网 China Daily