In a scene that left some onlookers in tears, a baby humpback whale stuck in shallow water just off Kawaikui Beach Park near Aina Haina thrashed about for hours Monday in a futile attempt to escape the reef upon which it was stranded.
It died before 9 p.m. Monday, officials said.
The whale, believed to be anywhere from a few hours to a few days old, was found tangled in a fishing net less than 50 yards offshore in the late afternoon.
Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said the net did not cause the grounding, emphasizing that the whale was likely already in serious trouble before it became entangled.
"It’s a very, very sad situation, but the reality is that something either happened to its mother or it was a ‘failure to thrive’ kind of situation and the mother abandoned it," said David Schofield, NOAA’s regional mammal health and response program manager. "It’s survival of the fittest out there."
Schofield said there are typically four to five such strandings in Hawaii waters each year, most occurring during calving season.
Another humpback calf died last week after becoming stranded in shallow waters off Lanai.
"Every year a certain number of whales just don’t make it," said Schofield. "It’s unfortunate, but we can’t do anything about it."
Schofield swam out to examine the whale earlier in the day and found the animal badly injured and in apparent shock. He said the whale showed signs of severe trauma from the reef and a crescent-shaped wound that may have come from a shark.
Given the extent of its injuries, the whale was expected to die within a day.
Schofield had said he would have preferred to minimize the whale’s suffering by euthanizing it if it rolled onto the beach or if the tide receded sufficiently for someone to safely approach it in the water.
As news of the stranding spread, dozens of curious onlookers crowded the shoreline, cameras in hand, to witness and record the unusual spectacle.
NOAA officials had earlier contacted a group of Hawaiian cultural consultants to assist in managing the situation.
"It’s extremely sad," said consultant Matthew Sproat, who has been present at numerous groundings. "I would like to see it survive, but calves are very dependent on their mothers and in this type of situations, the likelihood of survival is extremely low."
Sproat’s group helped to locate a Native Hawaiian family from the area, who in turn made arrangements for a cultural practitioner to be at the scene.
Just before sundown, 19-year-old Manu Noa, who cites long family ties to the area, strode knee-deep into the ocean to offer an oli for the whale’s peaceful death.
While some onlookers complained that the whale should be dragged out to open water, Schofield said such a measure would have been "inhumane."
"That’s the worst thing you could do," Schofield said. "It’s like dragging the victim of a traffic accident to the side of the road, putting a Band-Aid on him and dragging him back out to traffic."
Schofield noted that the carcass could attract sharks to the area, and cautioned surfers and other oceangoers to be vigilant.
