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Blue whale's corpse resurfaces Scientists hoping to find cause of death
SF Chronicle ^ | 7-20-02 | Peter Firmrite

Posted on 07/20/2002 5:11:08 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:40:36 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

The gargantuan floating carcass of a blue whale -- a beast larger than many ships -- disappeared for a while only to resurface Friday afternoon near Sausalito, renewing hopes that biologists will be able to determine how it died.

Wednesday's discovery of the corpse near the Farallon Islands had led to a scramble between scientists eager to study the rare mammal and great white sharks wanting to eat it. The white sharks got dibs, scaring off the white smocks with a menacing display of lunging and snapping.


(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Florida; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: bluewhale; corpse

1 posted on 07/20/2002 5:11:08 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Please delete these insensitive references to Ted Kennedy.
2 posted on 07/20/2002 6:40:25 AM PDT by Uncle Sausage
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
How did Bubba get there so fast to get the penis?
3 posted on 07/20/2002 6:41:40 AM PDT by Uncle Sausage
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Who pays for this ridiculous crap anyway? What do these idiots think, that everything lives forever? Maybe the whale just died of boredom. Or maybe his Medicare ran out. The cetacean health care system is positively abysmal. But Hillary Clinton has a plan ...
4 posted on 07/20/2002 6:50:34 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: IronJack
As it is kind of hard to keep a blue whale in captivity to study it this is the only way we have of learning more about it's life cycle. We don't even know for sure how long they live.

Pardon us for being interested in the world around us.

a.cricket

5 posted on 07/20/2002 8:15:51 AM PDT by another cricket
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To: Uncle Sausage
Please delete these insensitive references to Ted Kennedy.

The first person I though of...

6 posted on 07/20/2002 8:18:57 AM PDT by null and void
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To: IronJack; another cricket
What she said...
7 posted on 07/20/2002 8:19:52 AM PDT by null and void
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To: another cricket
My question was who pays for this nonsense? If you're so interested in towing dead whales around, by all means do so. Just don't send me the bill. I couldn't care less.
8 posted on 07/20/2002 8:28:39 AM PDT by IronJack
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: Oldeconomybuyer
Only in San Francisco would someone think a whale penis is a trophy.
10 posted on 07/20/2002 8:32:40 AM PDT by Dog Gone
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: one_particular_harbour
That is something I didn't want to learn.
12 posted on 07/20/2002 8:41:44 AM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: IronJack
The Marine Mammal Center is a non-profit organization. The Center relies on the generosity of private contributions from individual foundations and corporate sponsorships for funding.From their website

There is your answer. No bill for you today.

a.cricket

13 posted on 07/20/2002 8:44:04 AM PDT by another cricket
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To: Uncle Sausage
Check out the infamous exploding whale video. This is the fun thing to do when a dead whale washes up on your beach!

http://www.perp.com/whale/


14 posted on 07/20/2002 8:47:35 AM PDT by rmmcdaniell
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To: one_particular_harbour
"You gotta do SOMETHING with several dozen rotting tons of putrescent whaleflesh"

The infamous exploding whale video. Video link at bottom of page.

15 posted on 07/20/2002 8:49:06 AM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: rmmcdaniell
Doh! I type slow.
16 posted on 07/20/2002 8:49:31 AM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: another cricket
There is your answer. No bill for you today.

Then tow away! Fair winds and offshore breezes to ya.

17 posted on 07/20/2002 8:51:29 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: IronJack
LOL Thank you for your kind wishes. You also might want to consider that the dead whale would be a navigational hazard if left floating there and the sharks could present a bit of a problem. Not to mention the smell.

a.cricket
18 posted on 07/20/2002 9:21:44 AM PDT by another cricket
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