At noon on Mar. 20, New Taipei City’s Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office received a report from coast guard officers of a pygmy sperm whale stranded on Fulong Beach in Gongliao District. Animal protection officers immediately met up with members of the Taiwan Cetacean Society and researchers from National Taiwan University’s Cetacean Research Laboratory and sent out a joint rescue team.
Chen Yuan-chuan, Director of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, said the pygmy whale was 270cm long and weighed 170kg. Judging by the fact that the whale was in good health, it may have landed on the beach while chasing after squid or schools of fish, or it may have gotten lost due to an echolocation failure.
Yesterday there happened to be a high tide. For fear that the pygmy sperm whale might breathe in sand and water, rescuers first moved it to a safe place on the beach and then turned it upright with its back facing up and belly facing down to keep its blowhole unobstructed. Rescuers then covered the whale’s body with a piece of cloth and poured water over it to keep it wet, protecting the whale from dehydration. In the meanwhile they recorded the whale’s breathing and heart rate.
Photo courtesy of New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
照片：新北市動保處提供
A vet observed that the pygmy sperm whale was excreting red stool, a sign of stress for whales. Worried that the whale might get exhausted, the team decided that it should be released back into the sea as soon as possible.
After setting out from the port on a coast guard boat, rescuers noticed that the sea was rough, which made for a rocky ride, but eventually they arrived at the planned location for release. The pygmy whale swiftly swam away toward the open sea as the entire team saw it off, bringing the rescue mission to a successful conclusion.
(Liberty Times, translated by Yu-an Tu)
Photo courtesy of New Taipei City Animal Protectionand Health Inspection Office
照片：新北市動保處提供
新北市動保處三月二十日中午十二點左右接獲岸巡人員通報，貢寮區福隆沙灘上有一隻侏儒抹香鯨擱淺，立即會同中華鯨豚協會及台大鯨豚研究室人員前往救援。
動保處長陳淵泉說，這隻侏儒抹香鯨身長約二百七十公分，體重一百七十公斤，健康情形良好，推測是追逐烏賊或魚群過頭而擱淺，另一種可能是回音定位失靈，因而迷失方向。
昨天適逢滿潮，救援人員擔心侏儒抹香鯨吸入砂水，先將牠移動至沙灘安全處，以背朝上、腹朝下的方向扶正，保持噴氣孔暢通，身上覆蓋布並淋水保濕，防止脫水，同時記錄呼吸及心跳速率。
獸醫師觀察，侏儒抹香鯨排出紅色糞便，代表牠處於緊張狀態，為避免鯨豚失去體力，決定儘早野放到大海。
雖然巡防艇出港後發現海象不佳，船身不斷晃動，最後總算抵達野放定點，這隻侏儒抹香鯨在眾人目送下迅速往外海游去，救援任務圓滿成功。
(自由時報記者賴筱桐)
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