Lessons for keen whale rescuers

The movie Whale Rider didn't do stranded whales any favours, says Project Jonah chief executive Kimberly Muncaster.

"In the movie, they sat on them and towed them back to sea," she says with a look of horror.

"That's the opposite of what you're meant to do."

She hopes to set the record straight this Sunday, when the whale, dolphin and seal protection group will run a whale rescue training programme in Nelson that aims to educate the public on what to do if they come across a stranded whale or dolphin.

Ms Muncaster said New Zealand had one of the highest rates of strandings in the world. Mass strandings occurred in Golden Bay every summer, and there had been pods of up to 400 stranded at once, she said.

However, the course has had a poor response in Nelson so far. Only about a dozen people have signed up for Sunday's session.

"It's a shame, because we only get to Nelson once a year," Ms Muncaster said. "It's been really unusual. We're so close to the main hot spot area for stranding, Golden Bay, right in the heart of where strandings happen.

"Things can go a lot more smoothly when you've got people around who know what they're doing."

The course costs $80, or $50 for a student.

For more information and to sign up, visit projectjonah.org.nz.

WHAT TO DO WITH A STRANDED WHALE

Call the Department of Conservation and get experts in as quickly as possible to assess the situation.

Stay calm and quiet.

Take dogs out of the area.

Don't yell or panic.

Start basic first aid: cooling the animal down with wet sheets, towels and clothes.

Don't let them get dry. A whale's thick blubber means they can start overheating very quickly and end up cooking in their own fat.

Don't try to pull the whale back to sea by using its dorsal fin or tail, as it is easy to dislocate or break the fins.

Don't cover the blowhole – they need to breathe.

Don't cover the eyes – they need to see what's going on around them.

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