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New App Can Save a Whale in the Southeast
It was difficult to follow the coverage of the beached pilot whales as it unfolded in Florida without feeling helpless. There were so many of them! As I read stories like this, I also think about the first person who stumbled across these tragic scenes. What was their reaction and did they know who to call?
Recently, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced a new iTunes app to report entangled, injured or dead marine mammals in the Gulf coast and Southeastern Atlantic. Dolphin & Whale 911 has an easy interface to help you connect to the appropriate hotline, so nearby responders and vets can rescue the animal. You can also send a photo with GPS coordinates to make it easier for them to find the injured marine mammal.
The Dolphin & Whale 911 app also includes some other helpful features, such as a list of do’s and don’ts so that you can avoid harming any injured wildlife further.
But what if you don’t know what the marine mammal is when you are trying to report it? The app also comes with an electronic field guide to marine mammals found in the Southeast to help you identify the animal.
According to a new report, bottlenose dolphins in Louisiana’s Barataria Bay are suffering from long-term health issues not seen in other populations. I encourage anyone who lives (or travels) to the Gulf coast and Southeastern Atlantic to download this app before they head to the shore. The time spent downloading this app now, may be the precious moments needed to save that whale or dolphin.
