Lone beluga death a warning to stay clear

A lone beluga whale that has spent the past two years living close to shore around the waters of Clarenville, Canada has been found dead after becoming entangled in an old boat mooring cable.

Nicknamed Bluey by local people, the beluga was a regular visitor to the Newfoundland waters but he also frequently got into difficulties with ropes and fishing gear, and had to be rescued on many occasions in the past.

It appears that Bluey is yet another lone, or solitary, individual who lost his life because of his closeness to us humans. It seems a recurring theme for solitaries that they develop risky behaviour, a fascination with propellers and ropes, and an inclination to stay in polluted waters busy with boats.
Unfortunately, when lone whales or dolphins do appear in certain locations people tend to want to get close to them almost as if they were pets.  But if we do not learn to protect them by keeping our own distance, giving them space and making sure that they cannot get into trouble, the story of Bluey will repeat itself.

Read more on solitary dolphins, and why we should leave them be.