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--0016e6db2b20e2f4750470f0eefd Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yesterday I received a call from DFO. They had received a report of a dead dolphin at Pomquet Beach PP, Ant. Co. As it was a message on my phone, I couldn't question them about the species. In our waters, a small beached cetacean is more likely to be a Harbour Porpoise, of which we have several in the collection at StFX. On the chance it was a dolphin though, I took a former X grad who just happened to be around, and two of my honours students, who were both intrigued by the animal itself, and the thought of spending some time at the beach. We pulled in to the parking lot as DFO personnel were just getting back to their truck. I asked the officer how far along the beach it was (about 15 minutes east of the patrolled swimming area), and if it really was a dolphin. The officer smiled and showed me the pics on his camera, and responded...you tell me... Well, it wasn't a dolphin (in the sense that the public uses the word), it wasn't even a porpoise. It was a young pilot whale (which, like the Killer Whale, is a type of dolphin). A brief discussion with one of the life guards revealed that the whale was alive earlier in the day, but was struggling. Whether it succumbed to whatever made it sick, or finally drowned, is unknown to me. We dragged it ashore, and as we did, drew everyone from babies to seniors from the swim area to us. There were very few marks on the skin other than some parallel scrapings (likely teeth marks from other pilot whales?) and a few places where sea lamprey had clamped on, but had not done any other damage. There where also some isolated scratches that were likely from being tossed about on the rocks of the shallows, where we came across it. The whale was 2.78 m long, not at all fully grown. Since there was no way to get such a large animal to the truck, and since we have pilot whale material in our collection at StFX, I decided to just push it back in the surf and "let the carbon cycle", as Joan Czapalay once told me. I would have liked to do a a bit of internal work, but it is mid-August and at a public swimming beach...good reason to just leave it be, I think. Randy _________________________________ RF Lauff Way in the boonies of Antigonish County, NS. --0016e6db2b20e2f4750470f0eefd Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Yesterday I received a call from DFO. They had received a report of a dead = dolphin at Pomquet Beach PP, Ant. Co. As it was a message on my phone, I co= uldn't question them about the species. In our waters, a small beached = cetacean is more likely to be a Harbour Porpoise, of which we have several = in the collection at StFX. On the chance it was a dolphin though, I took a = former X grad who just happened to be around, and two of my honours student= s, who were both intrigued by the animal itself, and the thought of spendin= g some time at the beach.<br> <br clear=3D"all">We pulled in to the parking lot as DFO personnel were jus= t getting back to their truck. I asked the officer=A0 how far along the bea= ch it was (about 15 minutes east of the patrolled swimming area), and if it= really was a dolphin. The officer smiled and showed me the pics on his cam= era, and responded...you tell me...<br> <br>Well, it wasn't a dolphin (in the sense that the public uses the wo= rd), it wasn't even a porpoise. It was a young pilot whale (which, like= the Killer Whale, is a type of dolphin). A brief discussion with one of th= e life guards revealed that the whale was alive earlier in the day, but was= struggling. Whether it succumbed to whatever made it sick, or finally drow= ned, is unknown to me.<br> <br> We dragged it ashore, and as we did, drew everyone from babies to seniors f= rom the swim area to us. There were very few marks on the skin other than s= ome parallel scrapings (likely teeth marks from other pilot whales?) and a = few places where sea lamprey had clamped on, but had not done any other dam= age. There where also some isolated scratches that were likely from being t= ossed about on the rocks of the shallows, where we came across it. The whal= e was 2.78 m long, not at all fully grown.<br> <br>Since there was no way to get such a large animal to the truck, and sin= ce we have pilot whale material in our collection at StFX, I decided to jus= t push it back in the surf and "let the carbon cycle", as Joan Cz= apalay once told me. I would have liked to do a a bit of internal work, but= it is mid-August and at a public swimming beach...good reason to just leav= e it be, I think.<br> <br><br>Randy<br>_________________________________<br>RF Lauff<br>Way in th= e boonies of<br>Antigonish County, NS.<br> --0016e6db2b20e2f4750470f0eefd--
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