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Rescuers in fight to save whale | Rescuers in fight to save whale |
(about 2 hours later) | |
An attempt to coax a 33ft (10.1m) whale into The Solent after it became stranded in shallow water has been called off for the night. | |
The North Sea Bottlenose was spotted off the Hampshire coast on Thursday morning sparking fears it could beach on a sandbank. | The North Sea Bottlenose was spotted off the Hampshire coast on Thursday morning sparking fears it could beach on a sandbank. |
The mammal, weighing 7 tonnes, is said to be about 3,000 miles off course. | The mammal, weighing 7 tonnes, is said to be about 3,000 miles off course. |
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue has asked people to avoid the area as further activity could cause distress. | The British Divers Marine Life Rescue has asked people to avoid the area as further activity could cause distress. |
Rescuers also said extra boats in the water could block the whale from moving away. | Rescuers also said extra boats in the water could block the whale from moving away. |
'No fluids' | 'No fluids' |
The tide is expected to rise until 2330 BST before it starts dropping which is when the animal could be in danger of beaching. | |
Stephen Marsh, a marine mammal medic, said: "We got people out there at 1005 BST and it has been monitored all day. | |
"It looks like the same species that was up the River Thames a few years ago. | "It looks like the same species that was up the River Thames a few years ago. |
"The problem is this species is a deep diving whale and the closest water of depth required is off the Bay of Biscay, about a two-day cruise for a whale. | "The problem is this species is a deep diving whale and the closest water of depth required is off the Bay of Biscay, about a two-day cruise for a whale. |
"The trouble is they feed on deep-sea squid and there aren't many of them in the English Channel. | "The trouble is they feed on deep-sea squid and there aren't many of them in the English Channel. |
"Another problem is they don't drink water, they get all their fluids from food they eat so it may not be getting fluids. | "Another problem is they don't drink water, they get all their fluids from food they eat so it may not be getting fluids. |
"We are hoping if it does strand we will get it onto a pontoon, get a couple of boats either side and tow it out south of the Isle of Wight and point it in right direction and let it go." | "We are hoping if it does strand we will get it onto a pontoon, get a couple of boats either side and tow it out south of the Isle of Wight and point it in right direction and let it go." |
The rescue attempt was abandoned at about 2100 BST and was due to be restarted on Friday morning. | |
Solent Coastguard said it was not warning ships to avoid the area but was monitoring the situation. |