Singing islanders rescue pilot whales
Islanders in lockdown have used Gaelic song to help rescue 10 whales stranded in shallow water around the Western Isles.
The long-finned pilot whales, part of a pod of 17, were first spotted close to Lochboisdale, South Uist, on Thursday.
The sighting sparked a three-day rescue mission with islanders keeping to COVID-19 restrictions attempting to refloat animals from the group that were repeatedly getting stranded and injuring themselves.
Seven of the whales did not survive, but after getting help the rest of the pod were sung on their way out to deeper water between Uist and Skye.
Janet Marshall who is a volunteer marine mammal medic for British Divers Marine Life
Rescue said: ‘The girls singing on the boat was one of the things that calmed the whales, the effect was immediately noticeable. It is well-documented that whales prefer female voices.’
Key worker Janet who was given free accommodation at the Tractor Shed, North Uist, added: ‘Before the singing started the whales were very edgy but then their breathing slowed, they stayed under the
The whales were repeatedly swimming into shallow water and becoming stranded.
water longer. It was incredibly moving. When the girls stopped singing, the whales started chittering at them to start again.’
BDMLR co-ordinated rescue mission working the with
Uist contacts initially through its hotline then had to get special permission to send a small team and equipment across from a neighbouring island to help.
The charity said on its website that it had been ‘an extremely difficult situation’ and thanked everyone involved in the rescue for their ‘tremendous’ efforts.
Other businesses who helped included Uist Sea Tours, Mowi fish farm company, the Skydancer cafe and Uist Storm-Pods who allowed another of the charity’s medics to stay.
In an update yesterday, the charity said the whales looked to be in ‘reasonable health’ when last seen but it would stay on alert in case the whales turned up again.
BDMLR’s rescue on 01825 765546. hotline is