A group of scientists was in Andros yesterday in what marked the first step to discovering what caused a massive Sperm whale to beach itself and die on a shallow bank in Behring Point, an event that has attracted hundreds of residents and curious on-lookers.
Samples were taken from the whale’s body, including the blubber, stomach and heart and will be sent to the University of Tennessee for testing, Leslie Miller, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources told The Bahama Journal on Monday.
Tests will determine age and if there were any toxins in the whale’s system, among other things.
There was some concern yesterday that the animal’s ear and brain had not yet been inspected; however, another scientist was expected to attempt to take more samples today.
The whale’s body, which had been attacked by sharks and was in a bad state of decomposition, was reportedly found on Sunday morning, about a mile and a half from the US Naval base AUTEC [Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre].
It was not clear if the whale, which measured approximately 40 feet, was attacked before or after its death; however, some eyewitnesses reported that the whale was alive and jumping out of the water as it approached Cargill Creek.
“It’s the saddest sight in the world,” Margot Blackwell, director of the College of The Bahamas Environmental Research Centre in Andros told The Bahama Journal. “It was obviously in such a state that it couldn’t fend itself off from sharks.”
Mrs. Blackwell estimated that between 300 and 600 people have gathered at the site since Sunday, some coming as far away as Red Bays – about 90 miles away.
In the words of most people it was just a tragic thing to see “this magnificent, ancient creature” in that state, she said.
Mrs. Blackwell said some on the island are becoming concerned over this latest beaching, which marks the “fifth or sixth” in the last year.
Along with other Sperm whales, two Right whales have also beached themselves on the island, said Mrs. Blackwell.
“It’s really a concern, we see the shark bites on this whale and it’s obviously a very old whale because of its size and its teeth, but the people here are so concerned because the question is, what is killing these things? What is causing them to be beached?” asked Mrs. Blackwell.
“The concern is the kinds of things taking place, testing in the Tongue of the Ocean, that’s a major one of our concerns. But we don’t know, which is why it’s so important for the scientists to get here and look inside the brain of the animal and see if it has been disturbed by that.”
Mrs. Blackwell said the resources must be found, “because we need to know what’s killing these animals.”
In March 2000, 15 whales and a dolphin beached themselves on Abaco and nearby islands. Six whales and the dolphin died.
An investigation found that the whales had suffered severe ear trauma that damaged their navigational systems, and the cause was a test of a Navy sonar system in the waters off The Bahamas.
Mr. Miller, who was in Behring Point yesterday with scientists from the Department of Fisheries and Atlantis’ Marine Mammal facility, said it was difficult to say what may have caused the beaching, which is believed to have occurred sometime Saturday night.
“The cause of the whale beaching, I think it’s very difficult to say,” said the minister. “[Scientists] would have to do their own analysis and will determine the cause for that. But from where I stand now, the ocean, the deep water, it’s only 200-300 yards out, so I guess the waves pushed [the whale] in.”
Arrangements are also being made for the disposal of the whale’s body, said Mr. Miller, who promised to work with private scientists to determine the cause of the beaching.
Mrs. Blackwell believes the only way the whale could access the area is through the AUTEC channel, as it is the only place deep enough to accommodate such a large animal.
The Sperm whale is a toothed whale that lives in pods. It has a huge brain that weighs about 20 pounds – the largest brain of any animal. Its average weight is 40 tonnes.
According to Mr. Miller, scientists say the beaching is comparable to what is also happening on the eastern seaboard of the United States.
By: Erica Wells, The Bahama Journal
