[NatureNS] Sperm Whale

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Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:59:12 -0300
From: Ronald Arsenault <rongarsenault@gmail.com>
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Randy or Andrew,

Could we have date and location info on the other six strandings?

Thanks,

Ron

2009/4/22 Randy Lauff <randy.lauff@gmail.com>

> Recently, I was alerted to the presence of a whale that had washed up
> in Antigonish County prior to the winter ice-up. The whale is in the
> intertidal, so I'm a bit worried of it becoming dislodged and swept
> away. Hence, I have obtained a Department of Fisheries and Oceans
> permit to get the salvage process directly underway. My team of
> anatomy students and I have already spent about five hours on site.
> What have we collected? We did not get three Norwegians, we did not
> get two Swedes, we only got one fin.
>
> We're due to go back very shortly and collect more; cutting through
> blubber (which is much more than just fat) is a slow, knife-dulling
> process.
>
> http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/personel/recent.html
>
> I have alerted Hal Whitehead's team (he is a whale biologist at
> Dalhousie who happens to work with Sperm Whales), and by extension,
> the stranding network. According to Andrew Hebda at the Museum, this
> is only the seventh-recorded beached Sperm Whale for the province. If
> possible, I will be collecting enough material to share with the
> NSMNH. I believe there is a representative from the Acadia museum on
> this list...please get in touch with me. The same goes for other
> universities with formal collections; you will all need permits for
> any bits; I am not at liberty to hand away any pieces from this (or
> any other) animal under the terms of my own permits.
>
> I do not know how it died, there are no obvious marks to suggest
> impact. I won't be getting into the stomach for awhile (if at
> all)...once that is opened, I don't think working around it will be
> olfactorily-pleasant.
>
> To be able to work on such an animal is, for a zoologist with a
> passion for anatomy, a once-in-a-career opportunity. The local man who
> took us to the whale told me that I looked like a kid opening presents
> at Christmas!
>
> Randy
> _________________________________
> RF Lauff
> Way in the boonies of
> Antigonish County, NS.
>



-- 
Ronald G. Arsenault
Memramcook, N.B.

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<div>Randy or Andrew,</div>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Could we have date and location info on the other six strandings?</div=
>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Thanks,</div>
<div>=A0</div>
<div>Ron<br><br></div>
<div class=3D"gmail_quote">2009/4/22 Randy Lauff <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a h=
ref=3D"mailto:randy.lauff@gmail.com">randy.lauff@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span><b=
r>
<blockquote style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex=
; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex" class=3D"gmail_quote">Recently, I was alerted to the p=
resence of a whale that had washed up<br>in Antigonish County prior to the =
winter ice-up. The whale is in the<br>
intertidal, so I&#39;m a bit worried of it becoming dislodged and swept<br>=
away. Hence, I have obtained a Department of Fisheries and Oceans<br>permit=
 to get the salvage process directly underway. My team of<br>anatomy studen=
ts and I have already spent about five hours on site.<br>
What have we collected? We did not get three Norwegians, we did not<br>get =
two Swedes, we only got one fin.<br><br>We&#39;re due to go back very short=
ly and collect more; cutting through<br>blubber (which is much more than ju=
st fat) is a slow, knife-dulling<br>
process.<br><br><a href=3D"http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/personel/recent.htm=
l" target=3D"_blank">http://people.stfx.ca/rlauff/personel/recent.html</a><=
br><br>I have alerted Hal Whitehead&#39;s team (he is a whale biologist at<=
br>
Dalhousie who happens to work with Sperm Whales), and by extension,<br>the =
stranding network. According to Andrew Hebda at the Museum, this<br>is only=
 the seventh-recorded beached Sperm Whale for the province. If<br>possible,=
 I will be collecting enough material to share with the<br>
NSMNH. I believe there is a representative from the Acadia museum on<br>thi=
s list...please get in touch with me. The same goes for other<br>universiti=
es with formal collections; you will all need permits for<br>any bits; I am=
 not at liberty to hand away any pieces from this (or<br>
any other) animal under the terms of my own permits.<br><br>I do not know h=
ow it died, there are no obvious marks to suggest<br>impact. I won&#39;t be=
 getting into the stomach for awhile (if at<br>all)...once that is opened, =
I don&#39;t think working around it will be<br>
olfactorily-pleasant.<br><br>To be able to work on such an animal is, for a=
 zoologist with a<br>passion for anatomy, a once-in-a-career opportunity. T=
he local man who<br>took us to the whale told me that I looked like a kid o=
pening presents<br>
at Christmas!<br><br>Randy<br>_________________________________<br>RF Lauff=
<br>Way in the boonies of<br>Antigonish County, NS.<br></blockquote></div><=
br><br clear=3D"all">
<div></div><br>-- <br>Ronald G. Arsenault<br>Memramcook, N.B.<br>

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