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In Massachusetts, Effort to Save 44 Whales

Aired July 30, 2002 - 14:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Massachusetts, it's another race against time: about 300 people trying to save 44 whales. They're apparently part of the same pod that became stranded yesterday. This time, though, they've beached themselves farther in. Our Boston bureau chief Bill Delaney has more on the massive effort to save those whales. I know you've spent a lot of time there, Bill.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Kyra, a race against time and against tide. We just spoke to one of the leaders of the effort down there to get these whales back into deeper water, and said that they are having some success with about half of the whales stranded off Lieutenant's Island, which is off the town of Wellesley on Eastern Cape Cod. They have righted about 20 of these pilot whales, and as the tide now flows in, high tide, in about two hours, they are somewhat optimistic that they will be able to float 20 of these pilot whales back out to sea.

But unfortunately, they will almost certainly lose the other half, and maybe more, all of these animals injured two days now, the second day that they've been stranded, of course. They stranded about 30 miles to the west yesterday on Sandy beach today. Today, on the mud flats near this Lieutenant's Island. It takes you about a two mile hike out from Wellesley across these mud flats to get there.

As you said, 300 volunteers dousing them with water, trying to keep them moist under the hot broiling sun, and it is hot here in New England today, until, they hope, as the tides come in, they will be able to float as many as half these animals back out to sea. All of them, of course, quite injured. These are enormous animals. They can weigh as much as three tons. Their bodies beautifully designed to swim, not meant to be on terra firma -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Bill Delaney, we will follow the rescue efforts.

Thanks, Bill.

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