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Stranded whales refloated in New Zealand but concerns remain by AFP Staff Writers Wellington (AFP) Feb 23, 2021 Rescuers successfully refloated 28 pilot whales stranded on a notorious stretch of New Zealand's coast Tuesday, but the mammals remained close to shore and could beach themselves again, wildlife officials said. The Department of Conservation (DOC) said the long-finned pilot whales were part of a pod of around 50 found Monday at Farewell Spit, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of the South Island tourist town of Nelson. Around 40 were pushed out to sea on Monday evening but swam back ashore by the next morning, with around 60 volunteers helping move the 28 survivors back into the water. "The whales have been close to shore and it's uncertain whether they will swim off or possibly re-strand," a DOC spokeswoman said. "DOC rangers and volunteers remain on-site ready to respond if the whales start swimming for shore and become stranded again." At least 15 of the original pod have died. Farewell Spit is a 26-kilometre hook of sand that protrudes into the sea at Golden Bay. It has been the scene of at least 10 pilot whale strandings in the past 15 years. The most recent was in February 2017, when almost 700 of the mammals beached, resulting in 250 deaths. Scientists are unclear about why the beach is so deadly. One theory is that the spit creates a shallow seabed in the bay that interferes with the whales' sonar navigation systems.
Deepwater Horizon spill has long-term effects on dolphins' immune systems Washington DC (UPI) Feb 18, 2021 Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering the largest marine oil spill in history, dolphins are still experiencing the immunological effects of exposure, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. The new research is only the latest study to show the effects of the Deepwater Horizon spill were larger and longer-lasting than previously estimated - capable of disrupting entire food webs and even affect ... read more
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