It's very sad, fifty-six whales are dead.

[Paul]

   All the pilot whales involved in the beachings are now dead. Fifty-six whales have died in two days.

   I went to see the whales on Tuesday. I saw the small pod of whales at the Massachusetts Audubon Society Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. I will post a few of my photos of swimming whales here. They were taken after the second beaching.

   One of the Boston Globe stories.

      Paul

[Former User]

Oh no, this is so sad, I really don't know what else to say as I'm crying so hard...

[Logan]

This is just heartbreaking, isn't it? The last update I saw yesterday was that some of them had gone back out to sea, and I went to sleep last night, thinking they were safe.

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

How horrible!

[anna_66]

So, so sad

[tatsxxx11]

Isn't it so very sad!! You must have been so touched Paul, watching them as the final efforts were made to save them. You're right. All the news accounts say that despite all of the efforts of the rescue groups, the whales continued to head toward the shore. Euthanizing them was the only humane thing to do, they said, as by the time of the third stranding, the whales were too exhausted to return to the sea and were suffering. Thank you for sharing your were poignant but sad photos with us. You must have been very moved.

[jennifert]

Thank you for sharing your experience and the pictures Paul. How very sad! I too was hopeful for their survival...
I'm curious to know what the scientists find out

[Paul]

   I really wonder about the idea that whales are trying to head out to sea but their concept of the ocean does not include the hook of cape cod.

   In the pod I saw swimming, it was even more conceivable that they were lost rather than suicidal. It would be easy to imagine that the marsh of Wellfleet bay, that they were heading into, could extend across the cape into the ocean.

   When I first arrived at the bay I heard a number of strange sounds. Many of them were birds I had never heard before. Some of the sounds were very strange like recordings of whale sounds. Since the whales were mostly in the water it seems unlikely they were whale sounds from the whales. Perhaps they could have been a broadcast to scare the whales from one of the boats.

      Paul

[tatsxxx11]

A scientitist was on the news this morning stating that he believed it was more likely that the whales had become disoriented and lost their ability to navigate. He said there are only three areas that are notrorious for causing whales to lose their ability to naviagate. Cape Cod was the most infamous one. Ireland and New Zealand were the other two.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

That is so heartbreaking, what a sad, sad day. It does sound like they probably were disoriented and just didn't know which way to go to sea. I'm so sorry that they could not be saved. Another terrible loss.
Jackie, Miss Daisy and Perry

[jennifert]

That makes me feel even worse...that they were just lost....I was kind of hoping that they were ill and some internal instinct was telling them to beach themselves to save others....For me personally, it makes me feel sad that they were trying to get away and couldn't....
Thanks for the updates and info Paul and Sandra. I know this must be even harder for you two since you are so close....it's like your backyard....

[Dixieland Dancer]

[Logan]

I just heard from my Helen by telephone. She was watching the news, and saw the outcome of this horrible story. Her first thought was that she was so sad for these whales, then she said that she knew Sandra and Karen (her Massachusetts buddies) had to be crying. I think we all are.

[Karen]

It is so so sad, someday we will learn to speak "pilot whale" and ask them why, why, why, why? If only the rescuers, who were try so very hard, had been able to say - "listen, to get back to open water, take a left, go 30 miles, take a right, and there - the whole North Atlantic is at your disposal!"

Paul said there wer so many smaller, younger whales in the pod he saw, and it is just heartbreaking to think of it.

Whale children, how we wish
We could speak to you,
Learn from you,
Bring you to safety
Relieve your stress
So scared you must be,
Parents dying around you,
But still, you follow -
What else could a whale child do?
"Stay with the pod" mama always said.
"Stay with the pod, it is your only home"
"Stay with the pod" said father and uncle and cousin,
Who are we to say "No!"
"No!"
"This way lies only death!"
We are not your pod,
So we just simply cry,
and mourn,
And hope that one day,
We will learn to speak whale.

[purrley]

Karen - I'm cryin a river - that is so beautiful. You always come up with the most wonderful poems when something like this happens. Such beautiful creatures and so many all gone - what a waste