Posted on 04/20/2006 5:05:43 AM PDT by Rebelbase
A whale that arrived in the Chesapeake Bay lodged on the bulbous bow of a giant container ship died as a result of colliding with the ship, biologists said this morning.
A team of scientists spent much of yesterday examining the 35-foot, 8½-ton male sei whale at a Baltimore landfill, searching for the cause of death of the unusual visitor. They performed a necropsy, or animal autopsy.
"It wasn't apparent immediately, but once we got into the necropsy, it became pretty apparent what happened," said Tricia Kimmel, a biologist with the state Department of Natural Resources.
The sei whale - an endangered species - was spotted Monday on the bow of a loaded, 800-foot container ship that was arriving at the Port of Baltimore.
It was hoisted off the ship with a crane at the Seagirt Marine Terminal and hauled on a flatbed trailer to the Quarantine Road Sanitary Landfill in Baltimore, just north of the Anne Arundel County line where the necropsy was performed.
Initially, it wasn't clear whether the whale was dead and floating in the water when the container ship struck it, or whether the collision killed it.
Ms. Kimmel said the whale had several broken bones including ribs, evidence of hemorrhaging and a blood clot behind the head, which is probably where the fatal strike was.
"The trauma happened while the animal was still alive," Ms. Kimmel said.
Sei whales (pronounced "say") aren't normally found in the Chesapeake Bay, preferring instead open ocean waters. Ms. Kimmel said the whale probably had its unfortunate meeting with the ship out at sea.
The 800-foot container ship, owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Co., was coming from New England.
"It sounds like they may have come up most of the bay with it lodged on the bow," Ms. Kimmel said.
The rare instances of sei whales in the bay came via the same route as this latest whale - dead or dying after smacking into a ship.
Whales are a rare sight in the bay, and the only other whales who make occasional appearances are humpbacks or the smaller minke whales.
Now that the mystery around the whale's death is solved, it's skull will go into the Smithsonian Institution's collection.
The rest of the whale's final resting place will be at the landfill.
The final report on the sei whale will go to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which works to prevent collisions between ships and marine mammals.
Several government and private groups joined forces for the investigation, including the DNR Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Program, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Maryland Port Administration.
The sei whale - Balaneoptera borealis - has been listed as an endangered species since 1970. They measure 25 to 50 feet long and can weigh up to 40 tons. They have dark gray bodies with white undersides and resemble blue or finback whales.
A good way to identify a sei whale is by its V-shaped water spout, which can reach 6 to 8 feet in the air. They usually travel alone or in groups of five or less.
It wasn't clear this morning whether there would be a further investigation because of the animal's status as an endangered species.
Officials at the Baltimore office of the Mediterranean Shipping Company declined to comment.
"There's not much to say," said a man identified as the office manager.
Now that's a whale killing bulbous bow!
Bulbous Bow Bump
That'll ruin your day.
Mmmmm, I like bulbous bows.
Dead whales often float. They weren't sure if they had just picked up a carcass.
had = hadn't
Need more coffee.
"Do you have a proper license for your minke" Inspector Clouseau
I get it.
I'll be praying for you.
I like to lay pipe, too.
Thanks for the bulbous bow bump, bro.
Where's the obligatory pic of Chappaquiddick Fats?
"Chappaquiddick Fats?"
I think that transcends into icebreaking bow territory.
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