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 1 Lost Whales — Basic Story

Two humpback whales have swum up a river in northern California. They need to get back to the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists are trying to figure out a way to get them to go back to where they belong.
The whales are hurt. Veterinarians believe that they suffered cuts probably caused by a boat propeller. They are
not healing well in the fresh water.
In order to try to coax the whales back out toward the ocean scientists have tried a few different things. They
played different sounds underwater. One recording they played was of banging metal pipes. Another was a
noisy mix of unnatural sounds. They even tried playing sounds that they thought the whales would like. These
were of humpbacks feeding. The whales did not respond to any of these. They also tried using a small fleet of
boats to herd the whales downstream. None of this worked.
The whales have been very active. One day they started slapping their tails on the surface of the water. This
behavior concerns the scientists. They think that this could show that the whales are distressed. They also
noticed that the whales' injuries have gotten worse. Their skin is being affected by the fresh water. It has
changed from smooth and shiny to irregular and pitted. The scientists are worried about their health.
The U.S. Coast Guard will help protect the whales while they are in the river. They are making boaters stay at
least 500 yards away from them at all times.
Scientists have backed off some of their efforts for now. They are concerned that the whales will become too
stressed.
***** Footnote: The whales referred to in this story made it safely back to the Pacific Ocean. It took one week
for them to swim back to their natural habitat.

 2 active

moving around a lot

 3 behavior

the way someone or something acts

 4 belong

to be where something should be

 5 coax

to influence by gently urging

 6 downstream

in the direction a stream is flowing

 7 habitat

the natural home of a plant or animal

 8 herd

to gather, lead, or drive a group of animals

 9 propeller

blades that turn quickly and move a boat

 10 protect

to keep safe

 11 suffer

to feel pain

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