Published 12:03 IST, September 21st 2020
Humpback whale returns to ocean after spending days in crocodile infested waters
In a rare event, a handful of humpback whales had taken a wrong turn and entered the East Alligator River in the country’s northern territory.
Days after venturing in the crocodile-infested waters of Australia, a humpback whale has safely returned to the sea. In a rare event, a handful of humpback whales had taken a wrong turn and entered the East Alligator River in the country’s northern territory. However, all have slowly left beside one, who was struggling to find its way back.
According to ABC News, the Kakadu National Park staff monitored all the whales after they arrived and said that only one whale remained in the park as of September 10. Following their discovery, authorities had banned boats along the river path to clear it for the whale to get back to the ocean. "The last thing we want is a collision between a boat and whale in waters where crocodiles are prevalent and visibility underwater is zero," Parks Australia NT government had said in a statement.
However, on September 21, the officials announced that the last mammal has also made its way out of the sea over the weekend. As per Parks Australia, it had managed the feat during high tides. Following his return, Dr Palmer, an NT official, said that it was best outcome we could have hoped for. As per the officials, the whale has appeared in good condition after swimming in the Van Diemen Gulf.
For the first time in history
Park Australia, in a statement, said that it is the first time such an incident has happened and an expert group has been put up to monitor the whale and prepare for an intervention if needed. The statement also mentioned that the authorities want to avoid possible collision between the whales and boats in the region, especially in regions of zero visibility and high crocodiles presence in the water. It states that the best case scenario for the whales would be to make their way through the sea.
Updated 12:03 IST, September 21st 2020