[NatureNS] Dead Whale on Martinique Beach, HRM

From: "Laurie Murison" <gmwhale@nbnet.nb.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <20091007114730.KJOH18336.torspm02.toronto.rmgopenwave.com@BM.ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 09:20:43 -0300
Organization: GMWSRS
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It is a female minke whale as far as I can see.  Were there white =
patches on the flippers?  The angle of the photographs do not show this =
feature.  Also, minke whale baleen (if present) is cream coloured.  With =
decomposition, the baleen loosens and quickly falls out.

The tongue is greatly expanded/bloated by decomposition gases - the =
balloon in the mouth.  Their tongues are pleated the same as their =
throats and are highly distensible to increase their mouth capacity when =
gulp feeding.  The stripes on the ballooned tongue are those pleats.=20

There is a lot of bruising and marks that resemble those whales get when =
entangled.

Laurie Murison
Grand Manan, NB
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Blake Maybank=20
  To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  Cc: HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca=20
  Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 8:47 AM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Dead Whale on Martinique Beach, HRM


  06 October 2009

  We walked the length of Martinique Beach on the morning of 6 October, =
and we found a dead whale about 3/4 of the way along the beach.   Photos =
are here:

  http://tinyurl.com/y8zlsu6=20

  I've tentatively ID'd this as a Minke Whale, but request confirmation. =
 And can anyone tell me what is protruding from the whale's mouth?    =
From a distance (the first shot) it looked like a large balloon.

  We arrived at high tide, and there were many shorebirds roosting in =
the kelp at the eastern end of the beach, including 450+ Semipalmated =
Plovers, 400+ Sanderling, 50+ Semipalmated Sandpipers, 1 Dunlin, and 1 =
Baird's Sandpiper.

  I've cc'd this message to the Museum of Natural History, in case they =
are interested.

  Cheers,

  Blake=20


  =
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
  Blake Maybank
  maybank@ns.sympatico.ca
  902-852-2077

  Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
  http://nsbs.chebucto.org

  author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
  http://tinyurl.com/birdingns
  Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:
  http://tinyurl.com/mr627d=20

  White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada=20



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-----



  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com=20
  Version: 8.5.421 / Virus Database: 270.14.5/2419 - Release Date: =
10/07/09 05:18:00

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<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It is a female minke whale as far as I =
can=20
see.&nbsp; Were there white patches on the flippers?&nbsp; The angle of =
the=20
photographs do not show this feature.&nbsp; Also, minke whale baleen (if =

present) is cream coloured.&nbsp; With decomposition, the baleen loosens =
and=20
quickly falls out.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The tongue is greatly expanded/bloated =
by=20
decomposition gases - the balloon in the mouth.&nbsp; Their tongues are =
pleated=20
the same as their throats and are highly distensible to increase their =
mouth=20
capacity when gulp feeding.&nbsp; The stripes on the ballooned tongue =
are those=20
pleats. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There is a lot of bruising and marks =
that resemble=20
those whales get when entangled.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Laurie Murison</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Grand Manan, NB</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dmaybank@ns.sympatico.ca =
href=3D"mailto:maybank@ns.sympatico.ca">Blake=20
  Maybank</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A =
title=3DHEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca">HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, October 07, =
2009 8:47=20
  AM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Dead Whale =
on=20
  Martinique Beach, HRM</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>06 October 2009<BR><BR>We walked the length of =
Martinique Beach=20
  on the morning of 6 October, and we found a dead whale about 3/4 of =
the way=20
  along the beach.&nbsp;&nbsp; Photos are here:<BR><BR><B><A=20
  href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/y8zlsu6"=20
  eudora=3D"autourl">http://tinyurl.com/y8zlsu6</A></B> <BR><BR>I've =
tentatively=20
  ID'd this as a Minke Whale, but request confirmation.&nbsp; And can =
anyone=20
  tell me what is protruding from the whale's mouth?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
From a=20
  distance (the first shot) it looked like a large balloon.<BR><BR>We =
arrived at=20
  high tide, and there were many shorebirds roosting in the kelp at the =
eastern=20
  end of the beach, including 450+ Semipalmated Plovers, 400+ =
Sanderling, 50+=20
  Semipalmated Sandpipers, 1 Dunlin, and 1 Baird's =
Sandpiper.<BR><BR>I've cc'd=20
  this message to the Museum of Natural History, in case they are=20
  interested.<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR><BR>Blake <BR><BR><X-SIGSEP>
  =
<P></X-SIGSEP>-----------------------------------------------------------=
------------------<BR>Blake=20
  Maybank<BR>maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<BR>902-852-2077<BR><BR>Editor, =
"Nova Scotia=20
  Birds"<BR><A href=3D"http://nsbs.chebucto.org/"=20
  eudora=3D"autourl">http://nsbs.chebucto.org<BR><BR></A>author, =
"Birding Sites of=20
  Nova Scotia"<BR><FONT color=3D#0000ff><U><A =
href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/birdingns"=20
  =
eudora=3D"autourl">http://tinyurl.com/birdingns<BR></A></U></FONT>Downloa=
dable=20
  Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:<BR><A=20
  href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/mr627d"=20
  eudora=3D"autourl">http://tinyurl.com/mr627d</A> <BR><BR>White's Lake, =
Nova=20
  Scotia, Canada=20
  <P>
  <HR>

  <P></P><BR>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG =
-=20
  www.avg.com <BR>Version: 8.5.421 / Virus Database: 270.14.5/2419 - =
Release=20
  Date: 10/07/09 05:18:00<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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