Hobbies And Interests
Colin Spotting
Colin was initially spotted making a fruitless attempt to feed off an anchored yacht due to the absence of her mother. The humpback whale, who was roughly 14 feet long, was left behind by mom to fend for herself, very likely by unfortunate accident. By this point, poor Colin already was dealing with troubling health issues -- included labored breathing and prominent bite wounds from sharks.
No Feeding for a Week
By the time Colin's presence became known in Pittwater, she had already endured a long, harsh week without receiving any sustenance, hence the efforts to suckle the yacht. The lack of nourishment was a serious problem, as humpback whale babies require upwards of 230 liters of mama's milk every day. Without mama around, Colin's health was in jeopardy.
Colin's Mother
The dead body of a female whale -- the victim of shark attack -- was found close to Eden, a seaside town on the southern coast of New South Wales. This may have been Colin's mother, providing a possible explanation for the calf roaming solo.
What Happened to Baby Colin?
Animal experts tried to lure Colin back into her natural habitat -- the ocean -- to no avail. Though the notion of feeding the baby humpback whale using calf formula was on the table, the little cetacean was already in a frail and weakened state without her mother's vital nourishment. Because of her fragile condition, experts made the tough decision to euthanize the young whale through lethal injection. This decision led to quite an uproar among animal advocates, both locally and throughout the world.