[NatureNS] Pygmy Sperm Whale washes up in Halifax Harbour

From: "Dusan Soudek" <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: "NatureNS" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <14F505682DE04FBB92EFF754F24AB335@nshealth.ca> <066f01d063d2$67d92370$0a02a8c0@PHOCOENA>
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2015 10:08:54 -0300
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Thank you, Laurie, for the additional information. So the story is a =
little more complicated. It looks like the whale collided with a ship. I =
remember seeing Pygmy Sperm Whale on a list of marine mammal species =
observed =E2=80=93dead or alive-- in Halifax Harbour, produced as part =
of the environmental assessment literature review prior to the first =
harbour cleanup effort in the 1990=E2=80=99s.=20

Dusan Soudek


From: Laurie Murison=20
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 9:27 AM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Pygmy Sperm Whale washes up in Halifax Harbour

I have pasted below what was posted on the MARS (Marine Animal Response =
Society) Facebook page:

On October 24th, 2014 a small whale was spotted swimming around the navy =
docks in Halifax. It was swimming very slowly, had blood trailing from =
its head and an had an injury to its tail fluke. The Marine Animal =
Response Society (MARS) and protection officers from the Department of =
Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) responded, however a thorough search of the =
area by boat failed to locate the animal.

On October 28th, the whale was found dead on McNabs Island in Halifax =
Harbour. It was identified as a pygmy sperm whale, an elusive, small =
whale not common in our waters. DFO towed the animal to the Bedford =
Institute of Oceanography, where it was frozen until a necropsy could be =
performed.=20

On March 12, 2015 the animal was taken to Dalhousie University where the =
necropsy was done. This was directed by a veterinary pathologist from =
UPEI, MARS response coordinators and faculty from Dalhousie University. =
It was also used for teaching both University of PEI veterinary students =
as well as Dalhousie marine biology students. Several injuries were =
documented on the throat and tail and it was considered in poor body =
condition. Sadly, several pieces of plastic as well as a long piece of =
plastic strapping were found lodged in its stomach. Although it was a =
sad outcome for this small whale, it provided a unique experience to =
students from both universities to learn about whale anatomy as well as =
the importance of conservation measures to protect whale species. The =
bones were donated to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.

Laurie Murison
Grand Manan, NB

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Dusan Soudek=20
  To: NatureNS=20
  Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2015 8:48 AM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Pygmy Sperm Whale washes up in Halifax Harbour

  A letter to the editor (=E2=80=9CLitter lethal to wildlife=E2=80=9D) =
in a recent issue of The Chronicle Herald (March 20) mentions that a =
dead Pygmy Right Whale washed up on McNabs Island recently, and that a =
necropsy revealed several plastic items in its stomach. They apparently =
caused its demise. Does anyone have more information on this incident? =
Has the species ID been confirmed?

  Dusan Soudek
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<DIV dir=3Dltr>
<DIV style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV>Thank you, Laurie, for the additional information. So the story is =
a little=20
more complicated. It looks like the whale collided with a ship. I =
remember=20
seeing Pygmy Sperm Whale on a list of marine mammal species observed =
=E2=80=93dead or=20
alive-- in Halifax Harbour, produced as part of the environmental =
assessment=20
literature review prior to the first harbour cleanup effort in the =
1990=E2=80=99s.=20
</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Dusan Soudek</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; =
COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: =
none">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style=3D"font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A =
title=3Dgmwhale@nbnet.nb.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:gmwhale@nbnet.nb.ca">Laurie Murison</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, March 21, 2015 9:27 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] Pygmy Sperm Whale washes up in =
Halifax=20
Harbour</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; =
COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: =
none">
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>I have pasted below what was posted on =
the MARS=20
(Marine Animal Response Society) Facebook page:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff>On October 24th, 2014 a small whale was =
spotted=20
swimming around the navy docks in Halifax. It was swimming very slowly, =
had=20
blood trailing from its head and an had an injury to its tail fluke. The =
Marine=20
Animal Response Society (MARS) and protection officers from the =
Department of=20
Fisheries &amp; Oceans (DFO) responded, however a thorough search of the =
area by=20
boat failed to locate the animal.<BR><BR>On October 28th, the whale was =
found=20
dead on McNabs Island in Halifax Harbour. It was identified as a pygmy =
sperm=20
whale, an elusive, small whale not common in our waters. DFO towed the =
animal to=20
the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, where it was frozen until a =
necropsy=20
could be performed. <BR><BR>On March 12, 2015 the animal was taken to =
Dalhousie=20
University where the necropsy was done. This was directed by a =
veterinary=20
pathologist from UPEI, MARS response coordinators and faculty from =
Dalhousie=20
University. It was also used for teaching both University of PEI =
veterinary=20
students as well as Dalhousie marine biology students. Several injuries =
were=20
documented on the throat and tail and it was considered in poor body =
condition.=20
Sadly, several pieces of plastic as well as a long piece of plastic =
strapping=20
were found lodged in its stomach. Although it was a sad outcome for this =
small=20
whale, it provided a unique experience to s