Hawaiian Melon-headed Whale (Peponacephala electra) Mass Stranding Event of July 3-4, 2004; Technical memo

摘要

On July 3-4, 2004, between 150 and 200 melonheaded whales (Peponocephala electra) occupied the shallow waters of Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii for over 28 hours. The usually pelagic animals stayed in the shallow, confined Bay and were returned to deeper water with human assistance. With the help of volunteers and staff of the Hawaiian Islands Stranding Response Group, the Hanalei Canoe Club, community members and the federal and state authorities, the group of animals was herded out of the Bay beginning at 0930 on July 4, 2004 and was out of visual sight by 1030 hrs. . A melon-headed whale calf was found dead in Hanalei Bay on July 5, 2004 and the carcass was flown to California for scanning and necropsy, which occurred on July 7, 2004. This event was coincident with military training exercises in the Hawaiian Islands, and therefore immediate interaction between the National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Navy commenced on the day of the event initiation.