The two whales, a mother and her calf, which were stuck in the shallow waters of the Sacramento River last month, sustained some significant injuries; however, veterinarians successfully administered antibiotics to help the two whales combat infection. The antibiotics were administered using custom made syringes deployed via a remote operating apparatus into the muscle tissue of both whales.
The Coast Guard Cutter Pike assisted in the effort to move two Humpback whales from the Port of Sacramento, approximately 90 miles inland, to open waters in the Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard along with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and several other federal and local agencies worked together to move the whales back to their normal habitat. Photo by Eric Hebert, USCGAUX
Published: June, 2007
Whales healthy enough to successfully escape under Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
We are very pleased that we were able to administer these meds, said Dr. Teri Rowles, Director of Marine Mammal Health for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This is the very first time antibiotics have been administered to whales in the wild, and it took an exceptional collaboration.
Rescuers used the next few days to assess the health condition of the two humpbacks. The goals of this … health assessment are to collect samples of the whales’ breath and skin and obtain another tissue biopsy from the mother, said Rowles. Conditions on the water and the cooperation of the whales will determine what collection activities can be attempted and completed. Breath analysis will help determine the general health condition of the whales and whether the calf is nursing.
At press time, the two wayward whales caught in the delta, had traveled through the Carquinez Bridge, south through San Pablo Bay and through the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. They have been traveling fairly quickly, between four-to-five mile per hour, said Rod McInnis, NOAA. The boats on scene quickly spotted the whales and have been following them out since, to not only monitor the health of the whales as well as enforcing the moving 500-yard safety zone.
The Coast Guard along with the California Department of Fish and Game worked to continually enforce the moving 500-yard safety zone as the whales continued their southern descent towards the Pacific Ocean.
The Marine Mammal Center and NOAA, plan to continue to monitor the whales to assess their health and well being, as well as how the mammals are responding to the antibiotics.
Source: USCG
