JonDLundyn Parker 2 #10/2
February 16th 2007 02:42
At sea and on the beaches, remote or even hard up against the cities, other volunteers worked under the direction of National Parks & Wildlife officers caring for the marine mammals that were in agony. Most were doomed to die and would do so quickly. Some were euthenased immediately, others were tended as humanely as possible by keeping them covered with sea water and at least floating with assistance where possible. Hundreds of thousands of dolphins and whales were affected and many had and many more would die. Only a very small percentage had any chance of survival. Little was know of their in-built sonar systems and less still about why they had been freaked out by the deep space program sonar developed by the US. Surf Lifesavers in IRBS and rowed rescue craft assisted where they could on their patrolled beaches. Many had taken time off work and were sleeping in the club house, working from dusk to dark with the only relief being the period of high tides.
On more remote beaches, board surfers formed loose knit units and from their boards or on the shore did what they could. Quite a few harbour and river beaches were also crowded with dead and dying animals. Local residents worked along side blue collared council workers who trucked away carcasses after too many had been buried above the high tide mark.
At sea there was graphic footage taken from a cruise liner sailing up the NSW coast. A pod of whales had been seen “tail walking” to try and keep their heads out of the water. One calf had not been able to keep itself up and had fallen back into the sea shrieking in its own tongue, perhaps calling for its mother. A sleek fast swimming shape had slammed into it and latched on to its belly with razor sharp teeth. Shaking its huge hammer shaped head the shark tore off a huge portion of meat, leaving the baby whale bleeding profusely. It turned belly up, dead from the shock and loss of blood. Soon other sharks took up where the first had attacked. In what seemed no time at all hundreds of sharks had attacked the school of whales that were in no state to protect themselves.
The sea was alive with thrashing sharks and whales flapping uselessly with tales half torn off and flippers ripped from their bodies. The sharks gorged and gorged, the sea was red with blood and dripping offal. More and more predators appeared until the sea from horizon to horizon seemed alive with the carnage. Long before sunset the last of the whales had been devoured and the sharks, still in frenzy, had started on each other.
The captain of the ship, having originally slowed to a stop to witness the plight of the whales had quickly given the signal for full ahead and was steaming at twenty six knots from the sickening scene. However enough passengers had taken video and it was on all the television stations throughout the world for the evening news. The shock was evident in every household that watched television that night. This was nature at its worst. This was terror! The world had witnessed terror on a scale never before imagined.
On more remote beaches, board surfers formed loose knit units and from their boards or on the shore did what they could. Quite a few harbour and river beaches were also crowded with dead and dying animals. Local residents worked along side blue collared council workers who trucked away carcasses after too many had been buried above the high tide mark.
At sea there was graphic footage taken from a cruise liner sailing up the NSW coast. A pod of whales had been seen “tail walking” to try and keep their heads out of the water. One calf had not been able to keep itself up and had fallen back into the sea shrieking in its own tongue, perhaps calling for its mother. A sleek fast swimming shape had slammed into it and latched on to its belly with razor sharp teeth. Shaking its huge hammer shaped head the shark tore off a huge portion of meat, leaving the baby whale bleeding profusely. It turned belly up, dead from the shock and loss of blood. Soon other sharks took up where the first had attacked. In what seemed no time at all hundreds of sharks had attacked the school of whales that were in no state to protect themselves.
The sea was alive with thrashing sharks and whales flapping uselessly with tales half torn off and flippers ripped from their bodies. The sharks gorged and gorged, the sea was red with blood and dripping offal. More and more predators appeared until the sea from horizon to horizon seemed alive with the carnage. Long before sunset the last of the whales had been devoured and the sharks, still in frenzy, had started on each other.
The captain of the ship, having originally slowed to a stop to witness the plight of the whales had quickly given the signal for full ahead and was steaming at twenty six knots from the sickening scene. However enough passengers had taken video and it was on all the television stations throughout the world for the evening news. The shock was evident in every household that watched television that night. This was nature at its worst. This was terror! The world had witnessed terror on a scale never before imagined.
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