Primary school children with a passion for conservation were taught how to care for beached whales on Friday in Akaroa.
“We’ve got to take the responsibility to care for these marine mammals, that’s what’s at the heart of it,” said Project Jonah educator Kelly Meads.
Using a life-sized inflatable whale model, Meads taught children in the Pōhatu Penguins conservation club and their parents how to prevent harming a beached whale or themselves in a rescue.
“If people can learn young, and in an environment where there is a lot of enthusiasm and passion for these animals, that’s going to stick with them for their entire life,” Meads said.
The conservation club children attend either Duvauchelle School or Akaroa Area School.
The educator said the first thing she taught is to call 0800 4 9453 for Project Jonah’s rescue team or DOC in the event of a whale stranding.
It is important for people to be mindful of keeping themselves safe when caring for a beached whale, said Meads.
“The whale tail is one of the strongest muscles in the animal kingdom. There is not much stronger than it, so it can cause quite a bit of harm to a human who is accidentally standing close by.”
The pupils learned not to pull on the tail or the dorsal fin, or try to move a whale.
Using the whale model, they simulated pouring water over the fin while avoiding the blow hole.
The pupils then lay a sheet over the model’s fin.
“Whales are used to having water to protect (their) skin from the sun,” said Meads.
“So getting a sheet up, moving out the air bubbles so the skin doesn’t heat up and the whale get burned.”
Meads said remaining calm and quiet around a beached whale is also important to avoid distressing the animal further.
A common question the educator is asked at strandings is why Project Jonah does not immediately drag whales back to sea.
“We want to try to do everything we can to avoid injury. They basically can also get really, really dizzy when they get stuck on land,” she said.
• Schools can organise a Project Jonah talk with Kelly Meads at
