Más de 400 ballenas mueren encalladas en una playa de Nueva Zelanda (fotos impactantes)

Más de 400 ballenas mueren encalladas en una playa de Nueva Zelanda (fotos impactantes)

Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

 

Más de 400 ballenas encallaron este viernes en una playa de Nueva Zelanda y la mayoría murió a pesar de los esfuerzos por salvar a las sobrevivientes indicó el ministerio de Conservación del medio ambiente.





Andrew Lamason, portavoz del departamento, dijo que que 416 ballenas piloto encallaron por la noche en Farewell Spit en la región de Golden Bay, en la extremidad norte de la Isla Sur, una de las dos principales de Nueva Zelanda.

En los anales de Nueva Zelanda, donde el fenómeno es relativamente frecuente, sólo se registran dos de mayor importancia por la cantidad de ballenas encalladas, en el siglo pasado.

Lamason dijo que un 70% había perecido y que las perspectivas de rescate para intentar devolver con vida a alta mar a las restantes no eran demasiado optimistas.

“Con esta cantidad de ejemplares muertos, hay que asumir que las demás se encuentran en mal estado”, explicó el responsable a Radio Nueva Zelanda. “Por esa razón nos preparamos para lo peor”.

Hay tantos cadáveres en el agua que los voluntarios tienen dificultades para devolver a los cetáceos al océano, explicó a la AFP un vocero del departamento.

Sin embargo, los voluntarios lograron poner en el agua a buena parte de los cetáceos que quedaban con vida y formaron una cadena humana para intentar impedir que vuelvan a encallar.

“Esperemos que la marea se los lleve mar adentro y que puedan irse”, agregó la misma fuente.

Este tipo de ballenas son conocidas por su tendencia a volver hacia la playa aunque que se la eche de nuevo al mar. Los especialistas consideran que podría tratarse de un comportamiento tendiente a reunirse con los demás miembros del grupo.

Fenómenos anteriores más masivos se registraron en 1918, cuando unos mil ejemplares encallaron en las islas Chatham, seguido en importancia por otro de 450 en Auckland en 1985.

Las ballenas piloto, también conocidas como calderones, llegan a medir hasta seis metros de largo y son la especie más común en Nueva Zelanda.

En Farewell Spit, situada a unos 150 kilómetros al oeste de la ciudad turística de Nelson, hubo al menos nueve fenómenos masivos de ballenas encalladas en la última década, siendo esta última la más importante en ese período.

Según el experto, no existe explicación científica clara a ese comportamiento, siendo la causa probable la geografía submarina del lugar.

“Si alguien se propusiese diseñar un lugar para atrapar ballenas, Golden Bay sería probablemente el diseño ideal”, comenta. “Frente a Farewell Spit existe una gran cantidad de arena en forma de gancho y las aguas son poco profundas: una vez que las ballenas entraron, es difícil que puedan volver a salir”, reseñó AFP.


Fotos Reuters

Stranded pilot whales are seen on the beach in Golden Bay, New Zealand after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings on Friday, in this still frame taken from video released February 10, 2017. TV NZ/TV3 (NEW ZEALAND) via REUTERS TV ATTENTION EDITORS - NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND. NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIAN BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA.

Stranded pilot whales are seen on the beach in Golden Bay, New Zealand after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings on Friday, in this still frame taken from video released February 10, 2017. TV NZ/TV3 (NEW ZEALAND) via REUTERS TV ATTENTION EDITORS - NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND. NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIAN BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA.

People look at stranded pilot whales seen on the beach in Golden Bay, New Zealand after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings on Friday, in this still frame taken from video released February 10, 2017. TV NZ/TV3 (NEW ZEALAND) via REUTERS TV ATTENTION EDITORS - NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND. NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIAN BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA.

Stranded pilot whales are seen on the beach in Golden Bay, New Zealand after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings on Friday, in this still frame taken from video released February 10, 2017. TV NZ/TV3 (NEW ZEALAND) via REUTERS TV ATTENTION EDITORS - NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND. NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIAN BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

People stand next to stranded pilot whales seen in the water on the beach in Golden Bay, New Zealand after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings on Friday, in this still frame taken from video released February 10, 2017. TV NZ/TV3 (NEW ZEALAND) via REUTERS TV ATTENTION EDITORS - NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND. NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIAN BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA.

People look at stranded pilot whales seen on the beach in Golden Bay, New Zealand after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings on Friday, in this still frame taken from video released February 10, 2017. TV NZ/TV3 (NEW ZEALAND) via REUTERS TV ATTENTION EDITORS - NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND. NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIAN BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN AUSTRALIA.

People stand between some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales that have died after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's south island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ross Wearing ATTENTION EDITORS - EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Volunteers try to keep alive some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's south island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ross Wearing ATTENTION EDITORS - EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Volunteers try to keep alive some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ross Wearing ATTENTION EDITORS - EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND.

Volunteers try to keep alive some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ross Wearing ATTENTION EDITORS - EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. NEW ZEALAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN NEW ZEALAND.

Volunteers walk between some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Volunteers pour water onto some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale stranding, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales marked with an 'X' to indicate they have died can be seen together after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales marked with an 'X' to indicate they have died can be seen together after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales marked with an 'X' to indicate they have died can be seen together after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Volunteers attend to some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales still alive after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps

Some of the hundreds of stranded pilot whales marked with an 'X' to indicate they have died can be seen together after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings, in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Anthony Phelps TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY