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Rare whale dies near Kaikoura; Scamperdown Whale
Topic Started: Jan 24 2008, 11:26 PM (43 Views)
Kahu
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Rare whale dies near Kaikoura
Jo Gilbert - The Marlborough Express | Thursday, 24 January 2008


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JO GILBERT/Marlborough Express

WASHED UP: Bodies on beaches are often the only clue that rare beaked whales such as the scamperdown are in New Zealand waters.

A rare scamperdown whale has died in Okiwi Bay, about 25km north of Kaikoura.
The 3.96m whale, also known as a Gray's beaked whale, was found by locals washed up near the top of the popular surfing beach at about 10.30am yesterday.

The whale is part of the beaked whale family and Department of Conservation Kaikoura ranger Mike Morrissey said they were rare.

"No one knows a great deal about this kind of whale. They are rarely seen and are fairly solitary sorts of animals. They do frequent the coast but they're not commonly sighted."

This was the third scamperdown whale found on Kaikoura beaches in the last two years he said.

Scamperdown whales could grow up to 5m long and they either travel alone or in small pods of four to six.

According to the Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand chances of seeing any of the 11 species of beaked whale in New Zealand waters were slight; "In some cases the only proof of their existence is their bodies washed up along the coastline."

The encyclopedia also said scamperdown whales were the most frequently stranded beaked whale which led to the assumption that they were the most common beaked whale in New Zealand waters.

Mr Morrisey said it was highly likely the whale, which had injuries around its head and dorsal fin, was alive when it washed ashore in the morning's high tide, and died shortly after.

He said this was indicated by the amount of blood on the whale itself and the rocks surrounding it and the rubbing on its tail which looked to be from the whale struggling against the rocks on the beach.

Mr Morrisey carried out an analysis of the whale's stomach contents and said it contained a large number of parasites which suggested the whale had been unwell.

The whale was removed from the beach at about 2.30pm and DNA and stomach samples were taken before it was taken to Kaikoura to be buried.

The samples will be analysed by Auckland University. The results will be forwarded to the whale database at the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa.

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