The blinding unknown . . .

Heard the news this evening that I didn't want to . . . . .

The Press report includes:

"Thirty-three stranded long-finned pilot whales that were refloated for the second time yesterday beached on Farewell Spit overnight and are now out of reach of rescuers.

"The Department of Conservation would now euthanase them"

"When you reflect on what's happened, they've been through five tide cycles and have had two assisted refloats.''

''There's a gale warning in force for this afternoon, with winds of 35 knots, which means we wouldn't have a boat to help them. When you factor all those together, euthanasia's the best outcome."

The whales were the last of a pod of 99 that stranded on Monday afternoon. Eighty-two have now died, with only the 17 that refloated themselves on the first night surviving.

"The whales were exhausted and disoriented, and after such a long time on land their skins and body organs may also have suffered some damage."

This makes the question of the sense/morality of the rescue all the more meaningful. These animals have been so traumatised over the past 72 or so hours that I find it difficult now to believe we did the right thing. Would I have felt differently if more had survived? Probably, and that's what makes it so difficult to know what I feel about the rescue process. Their last days must have been full of fear and suffering, though rescuers (me included) felt pleased with themselves for the efforts they made.

The whales feelings versus our feelings. Is it worse for them to suffer in life or have their lives ended early?

I still don't know.

I'm considering doign the "Project Jonah" training to learn more