It is possible that the rescue of a single beached pilot whale by a local kayaker ensured that ICE-SAR was able to herd a large pod out of Kolgrafarfjörður fjord on Snæfellsnes peninsula. Snorri Rafnsson who was kayaking in the fjord, observing the whales, saw a large individual had swum into the shallows. He immediately sailed to the animal, jumped into the water and proceeded to get the animal free and direct it back to the ocean.
Rescue of lead animal saved the pod?
Snorri, who captured the episode on video, told the local newspaper Fréttablaðið that he believes the animal he rescued was the leader of the pod, and that the other animals appeared to wait and watch while he was helping the animal. It is not know why pilot whales beach themselves, but the action is well known. The pods usually follow a lead animal, and if the lead animal beaches itself the rest of the pod can follow.
Read more: Video: Heroic attempt to herd a large pod of pilot whales stuck in fjord in W. Iceland
I love swimming or sailing with whales, and feel the power and energy of these animals, so of course I headed out early morning, Snorri told Fréttablaðið. He observed when the whales headed toward the rocky shore. A few of them stranded in the shallows, most of them made it out, but one appeared to be completely stuck, so I jumped in to help the animal. I realized it was a particularly large animal when I got right up to it, which was an amazing experience.
A great victory
The rescue took 20 minutes. Snorri tried to push the animal through the thick kelp forest in the shallows. I figured out the shape of the shoal and tried to direct the animal back out to the water, pushing as hard as I could. There is a lot of kelp in the water, and he was tangled in the seaweed, so I tried to get him through this barrier. A second kayaker arrived, and together we managed to get the whale free. It was a great victory.
Read more: Large pilot whale pod leave Kolgrafarfjörður fjord, locals breathe a sigh of relief
Snorri told Fréttablaðið that the entire pod seemed to wait and watch while he was assisting the stranded animal. The pod waited for him. It's often the lead animal that leaves first, and it's similarly the lead animal who's first to strand and beach itself.
The video is made up from numerous snapchats Snorri recorded, and give a close-up view of the rescue. A second video of the rescue was shot from the shore by a local man, Vagn Ingólfsson.
It is possible that the rescue of a single beached pilot whale by a local kayaker ensured that ICE-SAR was able to herd a large pod out of Kolgrafarfjörður fjord on Snæfellsnes peninsula. Snorri Rafnsson who was kayaking in the fjord, observing the whales, saw a large individual had swum into the shallows. He immediately sailed to the animal, jumped into the water and proceeded to get the animal free and direct it back to the ocean.
Rescue of lead animal saved the pod?
Snorri, who captured the episode on video, told the local newspaper Fréttablaðið that he believes the animal he rescued was the leader of the pod, and that the other animals appeared to wait and watch while he was helping the animal. It is not know why pilot whales beach themselves, but the action is well known. The pods usually follow a lead animal, and if the lead animal beaches itself the rest of the pod can follow.
Read more: Video: Heroic attempt to herd a large pod of pilot whales stuck in fjord in W. Iceland
I love swimming or sailing with whales, and feel the power and energy of these animals, so of course I headed out early morning, Snorri told Fréttablaðið. He observed when the whales headed toward the rocky shore. A few of them stranded in the shallows, most of them made it out, but one appeared to be completely stuck, so I jumped in to help the animal. I realized it was a particularly large animal when I got right up to it, which was an amazing experience.
A great victory
The rescue took 20 minutes. Snorri tried to push the animal through the thick kelp forest in the shallows. I figured out the shape of the shoal and tried to direct the animal back out to the water, pushing as hard as I could. There is a lot of kelp in the water, and he was tangled in the seaweed, so I tried to get him through this barrier. A second kayaker arrived, and together we managed to get the whale free. It was a great victory.
Read more: Large pilot whale pod leave Kolgrafarfjörður fjord, locals breathe a sigh of relief
Snorri told Fréttablaðið that the entire pod seemed to wait and watch while he was assisting the stranded animal. The pod waited for him. It's often the lead animal that leaves first, and it's similarly the lead animal who's first to strand and beach itself.
The video is made up from numerous snapchats Snorri recorded, and give a close-up view of the rescue. A second video of the rescue was shot from the shore by a local man, Vagn Ingólfsson.
