The authorities are busy rescuing him.
Australian authorities are trying to remove a humpback whale from an alligator-infested river in the largest Kakadu National Park. The marine mammal got lost and found itself 30 km from its habitat, reports Chronicle.info with reference to Apostrophe.
Last week, locals first spotted whales swimming in the muddy bends of the East Alligator River. The animals made an annual sea migration, and several individuals turned the wrong way. Later, two whales were able to return to Van Diemen Bay, but one of them headed inland of the Arnhem Land Peninsula. This is the first known case that a whale has swum into crocodile territory.
“This is really very unusual. Nothing like this has ever been recorded in Australia before, said marine ecosystem expert Carol Palmer. – In the spring, whales migrate to warmer waters off the coast of Australia to give birth, then head back to Antarctica. We are not sure why these whales took the wrong turn: they were heading south, but entered the mouth by mistake, which led them further upstream into the river system. The muddy brown water made it difficult to tell how many whales needed help. ”
There are many alligators in the East Alligator River that normally would not harm a 16-meter humpback whale. However, if he gets stuck in shallow water, he will be easy prey for them.
“We will not be able to lift a 16-meter humpback whale off the sandbar, and this could potentially lead to the appearance of alligators,” stated Palmer.
To clear a path for the whale, Australian officials have banned and restricted navigation on the river. Now it is located in the deepest part of the reservoir, about 20 km from the sea. Experts plan to drive it in the right direction using the noise of nearby boats or recordings of the calls of humpback whales.
