3rd
June
Hi
all,
My thanks to Bryan Vallance (Plymouth BDMLR member) for alerting me
to this concerning story.
I'm sure that all of us who were involved with the virus and it's
results back in the eighties will be concerned by this news,
It is a point of interest that BDMLR was formed by Alan Knight and
others as a direct response to the virus in 1988.
We'll watch this new outbreak with great concern as, I believe, that
the Kattegat is where the virus spread to the UK from last time ?
Any comments ?
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Deadly
Seal Virus Strikes Europe Again
31-5-02
A
virus that wiped out half of western Europe's seal population in 1988
has struck again. At least 250 seals have died in Denmark, and initial
tests suggest the virus has spread to Sweden. Marine biologists fear
the death toll will soar.
Phocine distemper virus (PDV) spreads quickly through harbour seal
populations, attacking the immune system. Pneumonia is the most common
cause of death after infection.
"Naturally
we fear an epidemic similar to the one we had in 1988 and we can't
do much to stop it from spreading since there's no vaccine or treatment,"
says Hans Henrik Dietz, head of research at Denmark's State Veterinary
Institute.
Suspicious harbour
seal deaths were first reported on the islands of Anholt and Laesoe
in the Kattegat Channel between Denmark and Sweden a month ago. "We
examined 17 of these mammals and most showed the same symptoms as
those that died in 1988 from the virus that killed 4000 seals in Denmark,"
says Dietz.
At least 20 dead
seals have washed up on the south-western coast of Sweden since Wednesday.
"We are very concerned now. We are prepared for the worst,"
Anne Roos of the Contamination Research Group at the Swedish Museum
of Natural History told New Scientist.
An autopsy of
one of the dead seals in Sweden revealed it died from severe pneumonia.
"We are now employing more people to be alert on the western
coast and to conduct more autopsies," says Roos.
Bouncing back
PDV was first
identified in April 1988, when widespread harbour seal abortions and
deaths were reported in the Kattegat area. The virus spread rapidly
to the North Sea, the Wadden Sea and the Baltic Sea, killing between
17,000 and 20,000 seals in north-western Europe in eight months.
The population
has bounced back. "Today there are about 15,000 harbour seals
in the waters around Sweden and Denmark - more than there were before
the outbreak," says Roos.
Some of these
seals will be survivors of the 1988 outbreak and could be immune to
PDV - but scientists have no idea how many. "In 1992, a study
found that 20 per cent of harbour seals tested around Sweden had antibodies
to the virus. But there will of course be fewer now," says Roos.
Critical mass
But the rebound
in population could itself partly explain the new outbreak, says Seamus
Kennedy of the Northern Ireland Veterinary Sciences Division in Belfast.
Kennedy's lab was the first to identify PDV in 1988.
"Distemper
viruses are present in several marine mammal populations. It could
be that an outbreak in seals is triggered when the population density
exceeds a threshold level, and the virus is introduced into non-immune
population," he says.
PDV is closely
related to canine distemper virus, but no-one knows where it comes
from. Harbour seals seem to be particularly vulnerable. They accounted
for the vast majority of the deaths associated with the 1988 outbreak,
although harp seals and grey seals were also affected.
Historical records
suggest that PDV has caused mass seal deaths in the past, says Kennedy:
"I suspect it has been in the marine mammal population for centuries.
In 1955 in Antarctica, a large number of crab-eater seals died. If
you read the old papers you get the impression that could have been
an outbreak of seal distemper."
( Source : www.newscientist.com
)
3rd
June
Hi
all,
Here's a story concerning the upcoming release of a shark attacked
dolphin which has, interestingly, been in captive rehabilitation for
two months. The final paragraph ( marked by me with an ** ) is very
impressive/interesting.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Corky,
the dolphin, Close to his Freedom
29th May, 2002
A
young dolphin found beached on Padre Island may soon be returning
to his native habitat in the Gulf after nearly two months of care
and feeding at the Texas State Aquarium and the Sea Lab.
Linda Price May of the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network said
she is waiting on final word from the National Marine Fisheries to
release Corky the dolphin back into the ocean.
"We are
seeing a light at the end of the ocean. I think he is sophisticated
enough," she said. "I am thinking two weeks, but I am hoping
and praying for (release at) the end of next week."
Corky was found
April 7 lying on the beach, the victim of an apparent shark-inflicted
injury. A team of volunteers transported him to the aquarium, where
he was admitted to a sort of dolphin intensive care.
His wounds were
treated and a feeding tube was inserted. His recovery was monitored
24 hours a day. Now, Corky eats 18 pounds of herring a day. He weighs
219 pounds, compared to 144 pounds when he was found, and has grown
from 113 centimeters to 191 centimeters.
May joked that
Corky has become porky, a condition that means he has recovered.
Corky is the
equivalent of a typical teen-ager, she said. He spends his days swimming,
playing with toys and rubbing on a scratching post.
"He has
all the problems intrinsic with that age group," she said. "He's
ornery."
Corky is a prime
candidate for release back into the wild. If he were any younger,
May said, release would mean a violent death at the jaws of marine
predators.
Texas State Aquarium
marine mammal curator Debbie Prevratil said Corky is friendly, but
not overly so. Those who have worked with him were careful that he
did not become overly accustomed to human interaction.
"It would
not be good if he became used to people," Prevratil said. "He
does not know the fish he is eating is coming from humans. Where he
is concerned, the fish comes from the sky and falls into the water.
Then he stalks his fish like a good dolphin should."
(**) At the request
of National Marine Fisheries, before Corky can be released he will
undergo genetic testing to determine where he is from and where he
will be released. If he is an offshore variety, he will be released
into the Gulf with a radio satellite tag to monitor his movements.
If he is an inshore variety, he will be turned loose closer to shore
with a VHF transmitter.
Prevratil said
he will be placed close to a pod of his fellow dolphins.
( Source : www1.caller.com
)
11th
June
Hi
all,
Following the recent alert that the seal virus, which had so much
effect in the late 80's, has possibly arisen again in Northern Europe
... here is a response from BDMLR Veterinary Director - James Barnett.
( original report above : 3rd June )
Thanks for the info James.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
9th June,
2002
The PDV outbreak in the Kattegat is indeed a concern. Phocine distemper
virus was responsible for thousands of primarily common seal deaths
in 1988. Signs included respiratory disease, subcutaneous emphysema
(air under the skin) of the head and neck and, less commonly, nervous
signs. Diagnosis in live animals is by serology and virus isolation.
Although the condition has not been diagnosed in UK populations in
the last decade, there was a small outbreak 4 years ago in common
seals in Belgium. However, this was not on the scale of the outbreak
presently occurring.
The disease does affect common seals primarily, with tens of thousands
dying during the 1988/89 outbreak. Only a few hundred grey seals also
died. It is not known currently why common seals are so much more
sensitive to the virus than greys. There has been some debate over
the level of immunity against PDV existing in the common seal populations
in the North Sea, with little evidence of antibodies in some populations,
but continued antibody presence in other populations. The article
you sent us is a little misleading, in that there has been a vaccine
developed for PDV, but it is not possible to use it for mass vaccination
of the seal poulation, it being used in the past to protect susceptible
animals being returned to the wild population from rehabilitation
facilities. No facilites have been vaccinating against PDV in the
UK for a number of years now (I think the last ones vaccinated were
probably after the Braer in 1993, but I could be wrong about this).
This outbreak should certainly be taken seriously, and as a charity,
we need to be thinking about organising and equipping ourselves for
the possibility of an epidemic. However, there is no guarantee that
it will reach our shores. Furthermore, have we had confirmation, apart
from suspicious clinical signs, that this is indeed PDV, i.e. on the
basis of virus isolation and serology, or indeed electron microscopy?
James Barnett
BSc (Hons) BVSc MRCVS
11th
June
Hi
all,
Here are some further stranding reports from around the world.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Stranded
Whale Gets 'Keys' Care - Florida
8th June, 2002
Volunteers
kept a close eye on an 8-foot-long offshore whale being treated at
a Key Largo bayfront pen this week.
The whale, a pygmy or dwarf sperm whale, stranded near Naples early
Tuesday.
By nightfall,
the 350-pound marine mammal had been driven to the bayside Key Largo
facility staffed by volunteers with the local Marine Mammal Rescue
Foundation and Marine Mammal Conservation.
By Friday, the
whale had started eating squid and seemed more active, said Robert
Lingenfelser of the foundation. Blood tests did not reveal any obvious
illness.
"It was
apparent that he’s malnourished, but not emaciated, and dehydrated,"
said Rick Trout of the Marine Mammal Conservancy. "Until you
know what’s wrong, you always consider these guys in guarded
condition."
The whale is
believed to be young but a fully grown member of his offshore species,
which closely resembles the large sperm whale in everything but size.
"There’s
so little difference between a pygmy sperm whale and a dwarf sperm
whale that it takes an expert to tell the difference," said Trout.
( Photo : Kevin Wadlow ).
During the first
24 hours, volunteers carefully supported the whale in the chest-deep
water to ensure that it would take its breaths above water.
"We had
some experience with this species in the early 1990s and successfully
released two of them," Trout said. "But with these guys,
it’s always an uphill struggle if they’re sick enough
to strand themselves."
Local residents
and even a few tourists went through an orientation session before
volunteering to take a shift in the water with the whale.
"We hope
and pray we’ll be able to release him near where he came ashore,"
said Trout. "It could take two weeks or two months."
Dennis Doome
of Key Largo, joined by wife Debbie and daughter Leslie, were among
dozens of volunteers. "I can’t think of a better way to
spend a day off than trying to help one of God’s creatures,"
he said.
( Source : www.keynoter.com
)
Humpback Whale Freed From Shark Nets - South Africa
7th June, 2002.
A young humpback
whale swam free on Friday morning after getting trapped in shark nets
near Anstey's Beach on the Durban Bluff.
The 12m-long
whale, believed to be about a year old, was found trapped in the nets
by Musa Masiya, a member of the Natal Sharks Board, during a routine
net inspection.
Masiya radioed
his office for help and three divers spent nearly an hour-and-a-half
cutting away netting to disentangle the calf.
Sharks Board
chief Graeme Charter said the calf was "still quite strong and
active" when found, indicating that it had not been trapped for
very long.
"Our divers were very relieved to see it swim away, blowing heartily."
( Source : www.itechnology.co.za )
Orca
'A-73' - Update
8th June, 2002
SEATTLE,
- The federal government says it has set next week as the time when
it plans to try to 
capture
a young female killer whale that has been swimming near Vashon Island
in Puget Sound, west of Seattle.
The young orca was spotted in the area about five months ago. She
apparently got separated from her pod -- or family group -- which
is normally in Canadian waters off British Columbia.
Biologists had
considered bringing the whale to the Oregon coast aquarium in Newport.
Now, the plan is to capture the whale and then place her on a barge
for a quick trip to a net pen in Kitsap County west of Seattle.
A spokesman with
the National Marine Fisheries Service -- Brian Gorman -- says the
young female is to stay in the pen 10 to 14 days for treatment of
some health problems and for tests to make sure she doesn't carry
any serious health problems back when scientists try to reunite her
with her pod in Canada.
( Source : www.katu.com
)
Corky the dolphin loses fight for life
June 5th, 2002
Corky the bottlenose
dolphin died Tuesday evening, just a week after marine mammal specialists
at the SeaLab said he looked nearly ready to be released back into
the wild.
"It's quite
upsetting," said a tearful Lea Walker, of the Texas Marine Mammal
Stranding Network. "We've got to get him up to (Texas A&M
University) Galveston as soon as possible to find out what killed
him because it wasn't for our lack of trying."
Corky had been
in the equivalent of dolphin intensive care for the past two months,
after he beached himself on Padre Island. He had suffered shark bites
and propeller wounds.
Julie Renninger,
of the Texas State Aquarium, said those wounds had healed, and it
appeared he was going to be OK. But then Corky, who had been swimming
solo, eating on his own and even singing a short time ago, took a
turn for the worse over the weekend.
"We're all
grieving over here," Renninger said. "It's hardest for the
volunteers who gave so much time to caring for the dolphin."
Linda Price-May,
coordinator of the Stranding Network, said Corky had not been eating
enough last week but, since he had gained substantial weight during
his time at the SeaLab, she was not worried.
Monday morning,
volunteers and aquarium staffers noticed he was swimming sluggishly.
Then he began acting peculiarly, she said.
"Yesterday
he started swimming erratically and having problems," Price-May
said.
Caregivers gave
the dolphin water and Pedialyte to re-hydrate him and called in a
Houston veterinarian to listen to Corky's heart, lungs and stomach.
The indications were good at first.
"He did
quite well through the night," Price-May said. "After this
morning, he has gone steadily downhill."
By Tuesday afternoon,
Corky could not swim on his own and was being led through the water
by network volunteers to keep him afloat. He was being fed through
a tube every four hours.
The prognosis
for survival wasn't good but people were hopeful. About a dozen people
witnessed Corky's last breath at 5:51 p.m. Tuesday at SeaLab.
Volunteers loaded
his body into the bed of a pickup truck and covered it with ice to
make the trek to Galveston, where a necropsy was to be conducted to
determine the cause of death. Results could be available in as soon
as a couple days or as long as a couple weeks, Price-May said.
Debbie Prevratil,
the marine mammal curator for the aquarium who christened the dolphin
Corky, said even though he had good medical care, he could have been
afflicted with something that caused him to be a target for the shark
that caused his initial injuries.
Price-May agreed
but said the dolphin's death was not foreseen. "With an animal
that young and that agile, for the dolphin to be hit by a boat (and
attacked by a shark) he must have had something wrong from the get
go."
( Source : www1.caller.com
)
13th
June
Hi
all,
Following the recent article concerning re-occurrence of the Phocine
Distemper Virus, here is an update forwarded to me by James Barnett
- BDMLR Veterinary Director.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Confirmation
of the phocine distemper virus in Denmark and Sweden.
11th June, 2002
The
occurrence of the Phocine distemper virus (pdv) in dead common seals
in the Danish and also the Swedish Kattegat/Skagerrak areas has been
definitively confirmed.
Dead seals in
the Danish Kattegat:
In total about 320-330 dead seals have been found in the Danish Kattegat
until now. The carcasses were found on Anholt (180), Ls (85), Hessel
and the north coast of Sealand (30), and on the east coast of Jutland
north of the Limfjord (24).
Situation in
other areas :
In Sweden, 69
dead common seals have been found on the Swedish coast in the area
of the Kattegat/Skagerrak between Falkenberg and the area near the
Norwegian border.
Virological investigations of seal samples showed positive results
of the Phocine distemper virus (pdv).
In Sweden they are collecting all dead seals and tissue samples have
been taken for further investigations.
In all other areas in Denmark, as well as in the Danish-German-Dutch
Wadden Sea, no unusual mortality of seals has been registered until
now.
Outlook :
It seems that
the mortality has stabilized and has not increased very much since
last week. Accurate predictions on the spreading of the disease into
other areas, e.g. the Wadden Sea cannot be provided because of insufficient
information on the underlying influencing spreading factors of the
disease. However, the pdv epidemic in 1988 showed that the disease
can potentially reach the Wadden Sea within short space of time. The
current outbreak shows similarities to the outbreak in 1988 since
it is occurring in the same location, at a similar time of year (start
of the breeding season) and when the population density in these areas
appears to have recovered to the levels similar to those before the
1988 outbreak. The
possibility that this could result in a mass mortality on a similar
scale to 1988 cannot be ruled out.
16th
June
Hi
all,
For those of you following the fate of the orphaned Orca ( A-73 ),
here's news that she has been captured and is now in a sea pen.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Orphan
orca adjusting to holding pen
June 15th, 2002
A
young female orca captured after becoming too friendly with small
boats near Seattle was under close watch Friday in a net holding pen,
a National Marine Fisheries Service spokesman said.
"It's these first couple of days that are most important,"
spokesman Brian Gorman said, adding that so far the 2-year-old killer
whale appeared to be adjusting well.
The 1,240-pound
orca, called A-73 by researchers, was captured Thursday afternoon
by a team of divers and veterinarians off Vashon Island, southwest
of Seattle. She was barged about five miles west to the 40-by-40-foot
pen in Clam Bay, at an NMFS research station across Puget Sound from
Seattle.
There, divers
stayed in the water for several hours to ensure she would not injure
herself in the unaccustomed environment, and were standing by on the
pen's catwalk Friday.
By Friday afternoon
she had eaten one fish, which Gorman said was a good sign, and she
was swimming in normal patterns, not in circles as a stressed animal
would. She is expected to eat up to 50 pounds of live salmon per day
once she is acclimated to the pen. 
( Photo : Team
leader Jeff Foster, center, Jim Horton, right, and Jen Schorr, far
left, swim on Thursday with a 2-year-old orca captured and taken to
a holding pen in Manchester, Wash. )
The orca was
being treated for a worm infestation, and blood, urine and blowhole-mucus
samples were sent overnight for analysis to labs in Florida and Vancouver,
British Columbia. A-73 is underweight, has an itchy skin condition
and her breath smells like paint thinner, a symptom called ketosis
that her caretakers are not sure how to interpret.
Test results
were to be released Tuesday or Wednesday.
A-73 was captured
after NMFS became concerned her unusually friendly behavior -- including
scratching herself on small boats -- was putting her and humans in
danger.
"She was
rubbing up against boats and staying with them. She was being more
persistent in her contact with boats than she had been in past,"
Gorman said, adding that NMFS was getting reports of people at the
Vashon Island ferry terminal feeding the orca french fries, among
other dainties.
The plan was
to hold A-73 in the pen for two weeks or less, then take her to a
netted-off cove off Vancouver Island in British Columbia, around where
her family, "A-pod," spends summers. The orca lost contact
with her pod after her mother died.
Whale activists
are helping raise money to cover capture and relocation costs that
could reach $500,000.
The task for
A-73's tenders will be not only to refamiliarize her with her pod,
in hopes that she'll be taken back, but to help her learn to be a
wild animal again, Gorman said.
"We want
to make her forget as much as she can all of the attention she was
getting and craving from the small boats around her, and from our
own staff of biologists who were interacting with her over past several
months," he said.
"We're in
a mode now not only assessing her medically but trying to reverse
much of what she has been learning about her world in last couple
of months. Much of what she did learn is very unnatural and needs
to be unlearned."
( Source : www.spokesmanreview.com
)
16th
June
Hi
all,
Here's some alarmng news concerning these extremely rare animals.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Chinese
scientists to relocate endangered Yangtze dolphins
16th June, 2002
Chinese scientists
have given up hope on the Yangtze river dolphin surviving in the wild
and are stepping up plans to breed the endangered species in a nature
reserve.
The Xinhua news
agency reports there are fewer than 100 of the dolphins, also known
as the bluefin dolphin, living in the Yangtze river.
Zhu Zuoyan, a
member of the China Academy of Sciences, says increased river traffic,
human activity and pollution have decimated the mammal's numbers.
"The actual
number of the 'living fossil' is probably much fewer than that...
any conservation work 
would
be useless 10 years from now, when the remaining dolphins would be
too few to sustain the species," he said.
"Relocation
is the last hope for the dolphins."
The Yangtze
river dolphin has survived for 25 million years and is native to China's
longest river.
It is on the
list of the world's 12 most endangered species.
Mr Zhu says if
left in the wild, the dolphins "would constantly face the risks
of serious pollution, busy waterways and rampant illegal fishing."
Chinese scientists,
with the aid of the Ministry of Agriculture, will begin efforts later
this year to capture the remaining dolphins and relocate them to a
21 kilometre river reserve near Shishou, in central Hubei province.
One dolphin,
named Qi Qi, has been living in the reserve since 1980.
However, due
to difficulties in capturing other of the fast-swimming creatures,
scientists at the reserve have been unable to find him a mate.
( Source : www.abc.net.au
)
17th
June
Hi
all,
Here's a report of a UK stranding from BDMLR Director - Alan Knight.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Stranded
Atlantic White Sided Dolphin – Newhaven 15/6/02
On Saturday 15th
June 2002 an Atlantic White Sided Dolphin stranded on the beach inside
the west 
wall
of Newhaven marina in Sussex.
BDMLR were contacted
by the RSPCA and agreed to attend. Alan Knight made contact with the
person on the beach at approx 16.30 on Sat .
The local ‘Wildlife
Rescue Ambulance Service’ (WRAS) were already in attendance
. Trevor Weeks of WRAS had completed our Marine Mammal Medic course
at Bewl Bridge reservoir in Kent in April.
Alan arrived
at approximately 17.30 and was delighted to see that Trevor had the
dolphin in an upright position with a sheet covering it and had arranged
for the Newhaven fire brigade to pump water to the animal.
After identifying
the animal Alan contacted James Barnett (BDMLR Vet) . After receiving
the assessment from Alan it was decided that the condition of the
animal was poor and James recommended that the animal should be euthanased.
A local vet was present and followed James’s instructions.
The body was
recovered by a fire brigade crane and loaded into the WRAS ambulance.
Alan and Trevor delivered the dolphin to the Vet section of London
Zoo for post mortem on Sunday 16th June.
For further information
on the distribution and biology of Lagenorhynchus acutus see: this
link
20th
June
Hi
all,
Below is a news item published by a Norfolk newspaper ( Eastern Daily
Press ) on the 14th June.
The very latest info I have comes via James Barnett, BDMLR Veterinary
Director, and reads :
"I
have just spoken to Paul Jepson ($) and he has told me that the first
confirmed case of PDV has been found in the Waddensea* and this animal
is now in Pieterburen**. I don't think there is any doubt now that
it is going to hit the UK.
The strain
of PDV is very similar to that of 1988 and thus we can expect it to
mainly kill common seals. To date, it has not come in to contact with
grey seals, but as there is a small population of these in the Waddensea,
confirmation of this predilection will come in the next few days."
There are also
rumours of seals at Blakeney Point (North Norfolk) looking 'odd' ?
.... this is quite circumstantial and not substantiated
in anyway ... but it is very concerning. 
( Pic : Common
seals on sand banks in the Wadden Sea )
The BDMLR Directors are meeting this week to discuss, amongst other
things, the threat to the U.K. seal population by the Phocine Distemper
Virus and BDMLR's response. That response would be co-ordinated with
other organisations such as the RSPCA.
I'll do my best to keep you all posted on this alarming news.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
( * - Where's the Waddensea ? .... for more info click on this link
: click here )
( ** - What is Pieterburen ? .... for more info click on this link
: click here )
( $ - Who is
Paul Jepson ? .... Strandings Coordinator - England, Institute of
Zoology, The Zoological Society of London )
New
fear of killer seal virus
June 14, 2002
It started its
deadly journey in Denmark 14 years ago. Phocine distemper virus (PVD)
rapidly spread through the Wadden Sea to the North Sea.
By the time it
reached the Wash, 18,000 of the 22,000 seals around the European coastline
had died.
Wash seals have
still not recovered to their pre-1988 level. Half the estuary's 6000
seals were killed during the outbreak and today they number around
4500.
Now there are
alarming signs that PVD could be about to return. The disease, which
is related to canine distemper and measles in humans, has hit an area
of northern Denmark, where it was first detected at the start of the
1988 outbreak.
Naturalists fear
it could return, in a carbon copy of the last outbreak.
Kieran Copeland,
animal care manager at the Hunstanton sea life sanctuary said: "We
don't yet know if it is the same virus or if it is a different strain.
"It is very,
very difficult to say because there are lots of different strains
of the virus – but it is certainly the same sort of virus as
the one in 1988.
"In common
seals it hits the immune system and wipes it out making it difficult
to fight off any illness they might get. In 1988 a lot of the animals
died from pneumonia and we would expect the same thing to happen this
time if it reaches us.
"There is
nothing that we can do to prevent it because we would have to catch
all of the seals and vaccinate them individually against the virus,
which is impossible.
"We are
working very closely with the RSPCA and coming together with all the
animal rescue groups to do everything that we can should this happen."
The virus has
started again with the death of 100 seals around the island of Anholt
in the Kattegat – the part of Denmark where it started 14 years
ago.
"We are
going out and rescuing seals at the moment because it is their breeding
season and the time of year that we go out and rescue pups,"
Mr Copeland said.
"The fact
that it is hitting around their main breeding season is not good because
if the pups get the virus then they will be affected by it a lot more
than the adults.
"We are
hoping that it is not going to make it over here but we will have
to keep our fingers crossed. All we can do is wait and see how bad
it is going to be and take it from there as to what we can do for
the animals as and when it gets here."
Ian Robinson,
veterinary manager of the RSPCA's Norfolk wildlife hospital, said
that catastrophic death rates would result if the virus came back.
"So far
the virus is showing no signs of spreading out of northern Denmark,
but we do not know what is going to happen and there is a very real
risk that it will follow the same pattern.
"In 1988
it started at the beginning of June in Denmark and between August
and Christmas it had managed to kill around 60pc of the common seals
in the Wash.
"We nearly
have the same number of common seals in the Wash now as we did in
1988 but it has taken us nearly all this time to recover. But apart
from monitoring the seals and waiting to see what happens there are
no real preventative measures that we can take."
PVD symptoms
are lethargy, breathing difficulties, nasal discharge, coughing and
reluctance to enter water. The disease is not communicable to humans.
A mammoth rescue
operation swung into action in 1988. The RSPCA and Greenpeace funded
a seal rescue centre in a converted council refuse store at Docking,
staffed by volunteers.
Carcases were
buried 10ft deep on beaches and scientists tagged seals at Blakeney
in a move to learn more about their movements. But by the time the
disease died out, around Christmas, little more was known.
Scientists believe
they have developed a vaccine. But vaccinating every seal around our
coast is a logistic impossibility.
( Source : www.edp24.co.uk
)
20th
June
Hi
all,
Here are a couple more items.
C'mon Engerrlaaaand ! ( sorry, my emotions running away with me there.
)
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Entangled
whale freed but may not survive
Thursday,
June 20, 2002
An entangled
humpback whale was freed earlier this week but may be too severely
injured to survive, rescuers said.
"This whale
is very thin, very emaciated,'' said Joanne Jarzobski of the Center
for Coastal Studies in Provincetown.
The deep cuts
and scarring to its tail has twisted its flukes, normally horizontal,
into a vertical "propeller-shaped'' orientation.
Jarzobski said
that has forced the whale, an unidentified juvenile, to use its pectoral
fins more, which may be tiring it out.
Meanwhile, plans
are being developed for a possible expedition to free an entangled
northern right whale that was spotted Tuesday about 130 miles off
Cape Cod.
Jarzonski said
the adult male, known by the number 1424, is one of two whales that
were seen last 
winter
with entanglements. An aerial whale survey team spotted the whale
off Cape Cod.
( Pic : Library
pic of CCS staff approaching Humpback whale )
Unlike Churchill,
the whale that apparently died last year after suffering from a severely
embedded line, the lines wrapped around 1424's jaw has not yet cut
into its flesh.At
130 miles, the whale is still too far at sea for a rescue effort and
rescuers will be monitoring its movements for a chance to work on
the lines.
There are roughly
300 northern right whales left, and several die each year after being
struck by ships or becoming entangled in stray lines. There are an
estimated 10,000 humpbacks in the north Atlantic.
[ Center for
Coastal Studies : click
here ]
( Source : www2.bostonherald.com
)
Getting Our First Peek At Springer In Her New Home
June
19, 2002
We are getting
our first underwater peek at Springer, the orphaned orca, in her new
temporary home. ( Also known as A-73 )
Biologists say
after a week in captivity, the killer whale calf is active and alert
but she is not eating as much as expected.
Four remotely-operated
cameras, both above and underwater, roll 24 hours a day. They catch
Springer playing with a variety of natural items her caretakers put
in the pen with her.
"There's
a piece of kelp in there that she's been interested in and playing
with and rubbing against," comments National Marine Fisheries
Service biologist Lynne Barre as she watches the videotape feed from
the cameras.
They watch what
she does when a log is dropped into the 40-by-40 foot pen, what happens
when live 
salmon
are introduced -- on some of the recorded tape, you can see the salmon
she's carrying around in her mouth.
"We get
the whole picture of her behavior, " says Barre, "above
water, below water, we can see what she'd doing at all times."
When the NMFS
team first captured Springer last week and moved her to the pen near
Manchester, divers stayed with her constantly, marking out the four
corners, making sure the killer whale didn't get into trouble in her
strange new environment.
But, with the
addition of devices like a hunter's blind and the remote cameras,
biologists can keep close tabs on Springer without having so many
people nearby.
"No one's
been in the water with her since those original divers came out,"
says Barre, "we've really been taking a step back, little by
little, less people."
Springer weighed
just 1,200 pounds last week -- far less than expected. Veterinarians
hoped she'd eat 80 pounds of salmon a day, and add a little bulk.
But the most she's eaten in a day is three fish -- no more than 15
pounds.
"This isn't
unusual because of the new situation that she's in, that her appetite
may be just building up," adds Barre.
But the rescue
team is trying to stimulate her appetite, using the log and even an
occasional chunk of ice in the water as rewards after Springer has
eaten.
The NMFS says
it's not too concerned about how little Springer is eating, as long
as she's eating something and otherwise seems to be doing well.
The NMFS says
it doesn't expect to release any specific information about Springer's
medical condition for several days, and still has no time frame for
reintroducing the killer whale to her native waters in Canada.
( Source : www.komotv.com
)
21st
June
Hi
all,
I have received the following very brief details of the stranding
of a Cuvier's Beaked Whale in Norfolk on the 20th June.
If I get any further info I'll pass it on..... I'm a little confused
by the location as the only 'Ostend' in the U.K. that I can find appears
to be in Essex ?
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Cuvier's
Beaked Whale Strands at Ostend - Norfolk
20th June, 2002
A Cuvier's beaked
whale live stranded late last night (20th June) on the beach at Ostend,
Norfolk. A rescue attempt was made yesterday evening by the Norfolk
coastguard and RSPCA, but sadly the whale beached and died overnight.
The whale was
lying on the beach at the south end of Ostend village. It is an adult
male, with two protruding teeth, pale head and beak and shows extensive
scarring over the dorsal surface, particularly between the blow hole
and dorsal fin.
Apparently it
was in good condition and well worth a look!
For more info about this species got to : click
here
( Photo is from file and not of actual stranding ...
guess you can tell by the 'fashionable' hair and clothes)
22nd
June
Hi
all,
Here's the latest on the seal virus status that has been sent to me
via James Barnett - BDMLR Veterinary Director.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
A press
release issued by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management
and Fisheries on 19 June 2002 states the following (in extract):
"Seal
virus reaches the Wadden Sea"
19 June 2002
- On Vlieland, the first seal with the so-called phocine distemper
virus, or the seal disease, has been found. This virus is very
contagious to seals, but not dangerous to man. The seal was found
on 16 June by a staff member of the Pieterburen Seal Nursery Center
and transferred to Pieterburen. Following virological investigations
at the Erasmus Medical Center, it appeared today that it was indeed
the same virus, which, since May, has caused the death of seals in
Danish and Swedish waters. Since seals can swim more than 150 km per
day, it was expected that the virus would also emerge in the Wadden
Sea. The virus is the same virus, which in 1988 caused the death of
a substantial part of the seal population in Western Europe.
The seal found
on Vlieland has meanwhile died.
Although the virus has now been found in the [Dutch] Wadden Sea, there
is no indication of an epidemic yet.."
Besides the Danish
and Swedish Kattegat/Skagerrak area no unusual mortality of seals
has been registered until now in all other areas in the Baltic Sea,
in Denmark, Norway, as well as in the Danish and German Wadden Sea.
Since the presence of the virus in the Wadden Sea has now been confirmed
in the Dutch part, regions are urged to be on alert and report findings
of seals which are suspected having the disease or for which the disease
has been confirmed.
24th
June
Hi
all,
I have now found further info concerning the stranding of a Cuvier's
Beaked whale at Ostend on the Norfolk coast.
Would a pontoon have helped with this situation .... depending upon
the animals' physical condition ?????
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Sad
end to whale rescue bid
June
22, 2002
A large crowd
gathered yesterday to watch the rare sight of a three-tonne whale
being winched from the North Norfolk coast where it had died.
The previous
night two RNLI crews, the RSPCA and the coastguard had tried in vain
to save the 18ft beached whale.
Yesterday afternoon
a crowd of 40 watched as the adult male was hoisted from its resting
place on Ostend beach onto a digger, having snapped the ropes on the
first attempt to remove it.
It was taken
away by a team from the Natural History Museum to carry out a post–mortem
examination to find out how it died.
It is still not
certain why the whale, which is common off Norfolk and Lincolnshire,
should leave familiar deeper waters and become stranded on the beach.
The beached whale,
in a state of distress, was spotted by a walker who contacted the
coastguard.
The Happisburgh
inshore lifeboat was dispatched to Ostend, and was later joined by
the Cromer offshore boat, returning from an earlier job.
Bronson Fargo,
chairman of the Happisburgh lifeboat station, said the combination
of the outgoing tide, the sheer size and weight of the whale and the
way it had become embedded in the sand, made it impossible to move.
Reverting to
a second plan, the Happisburgh crew attached a line around the whale
so that the Cromer boat could pull both mammal and Happisburgh boat
together out to sea, but again were unsuccessful.
He said: "We
couldn't move the whale, given the weight and position of it. We just
tried to keep the whale hydrated so that it wouldn't suffer so badly."
Natalie Bartle,
the RSPCA animal collection officer who worked with the lifeboat crews
to try to save the whale, said its death was sad.
"You don't
get to see a whale very often, and when you do see one in that state
it is upsetting," she said. "We'd like to thank all the
lifeboat crewmen and coastguard for their assistance."
( Source : www.edp24.co.uk
)
24th
June
Hi
all,
Here's the latest Press item I have found concerning the possibility
of the PDV reaching the GB coastline.
Good to see that BDMLR is one of the leading organisations considering
it's plans in case the virus does reach 'us'.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Killer
seal virus threat
June 22, 2002
Scientists yesterday
confirmed that a deadly seal virus could be on its way to the Wash
after taking its first victim in Scandinavian waters.
Directors of
the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) group met for urgent
talks last night to discuss the threat to the UK seal population caused
by the detection of Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV).
Veterinary director
at the BDMLR James Barnett said the first case of the lethal virus
had been reported in the Wadden Sea.
"The strain
of PDV is very similar to that of 1988 and thus we can expect it to
mainly kill common seals," he said.
"To date,
it has not come in to contact with grey seals but there is a small
population of them in the Wadden Sea. I don't think there is any doubt
now that it is going to hit the UK."
Directors at
the BDMLR met at the organisation's East Sussex headquarters to discuss
their possible response if the virus hits Britain.
Early signs are
that PDV, which killed 18,000 common seals in the 1988 'Tide of Death'
outbreak, is following the same route back to these shores.
Pre-1988 there
were about 6000 common seals in the Wash, with one of the largest
colonies off the sandbanks at Hunstanton.
Reports have
been made that some seals at Blakeney Point are showing signs of illness
and two common seals were taken into quarantine at the Hunstanton
sea life sanctuary earlier this week.
Kieran Copeland,
animal care manager at the Hunstanton sea life sanctuary and BDMLR
area manager, said: "One of the pups was picked up yesterday
at Old Hunstanton and the other last Thursday (June 13) at Snettisham.
"They do
not appear to have PDV at the moment but we will have to keep them
in for about three or four weeks and keep our fingers crossed because
of the incubation period of the PDV virus."
"If PDV
hits we will know about it because dead seals will start washing up
on the beach," said Mr Copeland.
Ann Smith, a
secretary at Norfolk's RSPCA wildlife hospital at East Winch said
staff were making a conscious effort to look to see if seals are sick,
but had seen nothing yet.
Mr Copeland said
he would be working very closely with the RSPCA in the event of any
outbreak in the Wash – an area still not fully recovered from
the 1988 outbreak.
"Everything
is going mad to bring things together at the moment as there is no
way that we can tell how big it is going to be. We might lose 50 seals
in the Wash or it could be as many as 3000 again," he said.
( Source : www.edp24.co.uk )
25th
June
Hi
all,
Here is the latest info on the seal virus.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
23/06/02
Hello,
We ( BDMLR Directors ) had our discussion on Friday re. seal virus
and I am to contact East Winch ( RSPCA Wildlife Hospital ) to find
out exactly how we can help them within the facility, as well as helping
with picking up and transporting seals. We will be sending out a letter
to all Medics with the newsletter informing them of the situation
and as to how they can help and I will write a protocol on handling
procedures for probably infected seals. I will also start stocking
up on gloves and disinfectant.
James ( James Barnett - BDMLR Veterinary Director
)
Information
on Dead Seals in the Danish and Swedish Kattegat/Skagerrak Area and
in the Wadden Sea in 2002
24th
June 2002
Status:
In total, 685
dead seals have been reported in the Danish and Swedish Kattegat/Skagerrak
area until now. It is estimated that the number of dead seals in this
area is in total about 700. (Detailed numbers according to area see
below).
Until now, the
information suggests that the disease is currently still more or less
confined to the Kattegat/Skagerrak area, besides the first and, until
now, only seal with pdv, which was found on Vlieland in the Dutch
Wadden Sea on 16 June 2002.
In all other
Wadden Sea areas in Denmark and Germany, as well as in other Danish
areas, Norway, and in the Baltic Sea, no unusual mortality of seals
has been registered until now.
Dead seals in
the Danish Kattegat
In total, about
527 dead common seals have been found in the Danish Kattegat:
- 198 on Anholt;
- 150 on Læsø;
- 78 on the east
coast of Jutland near the mouth of the Limfjord north of the Mariager
Fjord;
- 45 on the north
coast of Sealand;
- 5 on the north
west part of Sealand;
- 50 on Hesselø;
- one seal has
been found dead on the island Bosserne.
Dead seals in
the Swedish Kattegat/Skagerrak area
On the Swedish
coast in the area of the Kattegat/Skagerrak 158 dead common seals
have been reported for the area between Helsingborg in the south and
the area near the Norwegian border. However, it is estimated that
in total about 180 seals have died in this area until now. About 60
samples were taken for virological and further investigations.
( Info via :
Geoff Hammock - BDMLR Director )
26th
June
Hi
all,
Please find below a report from Arie den Hollander ( Plymouth BDMLR
Co-ordinator ) concerning the BDMLR stand at the Looe Festival of
the Sea which took place last weekend.
I would like to join with him in thanking Jan & Jeff Loveridge
who spent a lot of their time putting the BDMLR stand together and
organising 'our' involvement. If I get any pics of the event I'll
pass them on.
I believe that they raised over £400 for BDMLR ..... Congratulations
!
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
24/06/02
The Looe Festival of the Sea was a success, thanks to several weeks
of hard work in preparation by Jan and Jeff Loveridge. The stand looked
really professional, and there was a tremendous amount of interest.
Jan and Jeff's pro-active attitude was compelling without being "pushy".
I am sure you will join me in thanking them, and also their daughter
Laurraine.
The Cornwall medics were led by Jeff Loveridge and David Ball, who
gave an excellent commentary for festival visitors during the whale
refloat demonstration. Richard House led the Plymouth medics and closely
monitored safety procedures.
Our thanks to HQ for organising the whale, dolphin, and posters/goodies.
Arie den Hollander
26th
June
Hi
all,
My thanks to Liz Sandeman ( www.marineconnection.org
) for passing this item on to me.
Of interest to all of us who have been following the progress of 'Springer'
the young 'orphaned' Orca in Canada.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Great
news for the baby orca
24/06/02
The bad breath
has faded, the worms are going and the orphaned baby orca of Puget
Sound looks healthy enough to be shipped back to her native Canada
within a month.
The orca's handlers
also think they know what's causing the pesky skin irritation that
has plagued the young killer whale and it's probably nothing
that a reunion with her long-lost family won't cure.
"She's responsive,
she's bright, she's alert and she's sensitive to a lot of things in
her environment," said an upbeat Dr. Pete Schroeder, a veterinarian
treating the orca. "She has pretty close to a clean bill of health
now. Her best move now would be to take a trip north."
Results of a
few important tests are not yet available, though. If the orca turns
out to have a virus or bacteria that could be transmitted to other
orcas, the Canadian government has said she would likely not be allowed
back into Canadian waters. Those results are expected by July 1. Vets
are also waiting for confirmatory tests to back up the encouraging
initial blood-test results they already have received. Those tests
suggest the whale has a mild inflammation somewhere, but that would
not rule out returning her to Canada.
Two tests have
also shown that the orca does not have an inborn genetic defect affecting
her metabolic system, as National Marine Fisheries Service scientists
originally feared. That notion stemmed from a chemical-like odor on
the breath of the whale, which remains unexplained. That smell has
largely faded now. Tests of the whale's breath show that the gases
causing the foul odor have been greatly reducedfrom their level in
May.
The orca, a 2-year-old,
appeared in mid-Puget Sound in January 2002 after her mother died
and she became separated from her whale family, or pod. She is known
scientifically as A-73 because she was the 73rd whale known to be
born to Canada's A pod. She is nicknamed "Springer."
Officials hope
to reunite the whale with her pod when it returns to Johnstone Strait,
on the northeast edge of Vancouver Island, later this summer. This
week the orca's handlers extended a half-inch-diameter tube down the
whale's throat, injecting 1 1/2 gallons of water mixed with medicine
to kill worms in the digestive system. During the procedure the whale
was very calm. The skin condition A-73 is enduring is not uncommon
in young orcas, and it has improved markedly in the last six weeks.
It may be aggravated by her absence from her whale family. Her pod
in particular has been known to rub on pebble-studded beaches in Johnstone
Strait, presumably to help scrape off dead skin. If A-73 can be successfully
reunited with her pod, she may well learn to do that too which would
further improve the skin condition.
"She looks
better now than when we actually captured her," Schroeder said.
It's possible
the orca could be ready to be moved north in two to three weeks and
the handlers intent is to move the animal as soon as they have a green
light from Canada.
26th
June
Hi
all,
My thanks to Kevin Robinson ( www.crru.org.uk
) for forwarding this very interesting item on to me.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Entangled
sperm whale freed - Turkey
21/06/02
On
21 June, a young female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) became
entangled in a gill net in Fethiye-Turkey, in the Aegean Sea. A rescue
operation was organised by marine experts at the Turkish Marine Research
Foundation (TUDAV). With the assistance of divers from the Turkish
Navy, pieces of net were cut away from the lower jaw and tail flukes
of the juvenille whale and the animal was freed from the net following
an enduring 3 hour operation.
The animal is now reported to be safe and appears to be functioning
as normal following its ordeal. During the operation, skin samples
were taken for genetic studies and recordings were made of the sounds
produced by the whale using a hydrophone.
Pictures of the recue operation are attached courtesy of Ayhan Dede
from TUDAV.
26th
June
Hi
all,
Please find below an excellent report of a Common dolphin stranding
attended by BDMLR Directors Mark Stevens and Geoff Hammock and written
by Mark's wife, Alison.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
On Saturday
22nd June a small dolphin was reported in difficulties in the River
Medway (Otterham Quay).
Geoff Hammock
and Mark Stevens went to investigate. When they got there they saw
a small common dolphin circling in a shallow, very muddy pool. (Anyone
who knows the area will know that the conditions are like)
There were some
tough choices to make. The mud is waist deep and the dolphin could
only be approached via the mud flats (70 yds across). Geoff and Mark
(plus families) watched the small dolphin going round and round as
the tide went out. It became clear that the remaining water depth
was not going to be sufficient to keep the animal completely wet until
the next high tide, some 9 hrs away.
After around
40 minutes of discussion between Geoff, Mark and the locals a plan
was hatched. Geoff and Mark would attempt to walk, crawl and swim
to the dolphin. As the mud was so dangerous both the 
chaps
were tied to ropes that could be attached to Geoff’s 4x4. In
this way if they got stuck Jayne (Geoff’s wife) could pull them
free. This was a dangerous undertaking was not taken lightly. There
was a considerable amount of risk assessment done!
( Pic : Mark
- Left, Geoff - Right )
Slowly Geoff
and Mark made their way through the mud channels (they thought that
since water was still flowing in them they were likely to have a harder
bottom in them. Chris, one of the locals, carefully paid out the lifelines
and the pair made their slow way.
When they reached
the pool of liquid mud (Mark reckons it had the consistency of custard!)
They tried to encircle the dolphin. Not easy when there are only 2
of you, but the rope slapped on the top of the water helped. The dolphin
was taking long breaths, as it seemed to lift it’s self unusually
high in the water (mud) it swam in.
Finally Geoff
and Mark were in a position where Mark was able to grab the dolphin
as it swam past him. There was quite a struggle as Mark wrestled with
the powerful little thing. Geoff made his way over quickly (fairly,
due to mud) and the pair of them struggled to lift it onto a tarp
and a float they had taken.
Just as the dolphin
was lifted onto the float it died. It was clear the Geoff and Mark
were devastated. They just stood there for around 10 minutes. People
asked me what they were doing. I said, “ If I know them they
will be saying what if” and “trying to work out if their
action was the right thing”.
The dolphin was
skidded ashore and we washed it off with a hose as Geoff and Mark
made their way back, slowly, to the shore. It had taken everything
out of them, especially Mark who said, “He is too 
old
for this bloody lark!” I resign!! (I knew that was a lie!) Geoff
and Mark took the dolphin to Paul Jepson ( Zoological Society of London
) that night, they felt the fresher the carcass was the more results
Paul would get.
[ Pic : Puncture
wound ]
The results showed
that the young female was suffering form masses of abscesses all through
her body, although Paul could not say how she got them we had seen
a puncture wound under the animal. Paul thinks they may have spread
form these. There were also some signs the dolphin had been caught
in a gill net at some stage. Mark had assessed the dolphin as moderate
condition. Paul agreed with him and also agreed that, if the dolphin
had lived it would not have been a candidate for refloat. We could
feel the abscesses through it’s skin!
There have been
11 cultures taken from the dolphin. They will take a few weeks for
the results to come through.
NB The same
afternoon in the same creek the Fire Service had attempted to rescue
a dog from the mud. Their attempt had been called off as “too
risky” This proves what a great effort Geoff and Mark made to
save this poor little dolphin.
Alison
Stevens
Treasurer, Secretary
(proud wife and friend) BDMLR
'Rainham'
Dolphin - Report
Originall posted - August 15th 2002
You may recall the excellent (and justifiably
proud) report by Alison Stevens on her husband Mark and Geoff Hammock's
heroic attempt to rescue a young common dolphin from the Medway mud
on June 22nd. You will also recall that the animal unfortunately died
during the attempt and that the initial post mortem examination findings
by veterinary pathologist, Paul Jepson of the UK Marine Mammal Strandings
Programme were of numerous abscesses. Well, Paul has now issued a
full report on the post mortem and it does not make pretty reading.
The young female dolphin had extensive abscesses
in her muscles and mammary glands which seemed to originate from two
chronic injuries over her mammary glands (a photograph of one of these
was given in the last BDMLR news story on the stranding). There was
also generalised enlargement of the associated lymph nodes and evidence
of widespread bacterial infection.
It is impossible to be absolutely sure as to
what caused these injuries, which would have resulted in the young
animal suffering a slow and lingering death,. However, the presence
of lesions resembling healed gill-net type injuries on the beak, left
pectoral fin and right tail fluke of the dolphin strongly suggested
that, at some point, she had become entangled in fishing gear. When
one also considers that one possible cause of the injuries over her
mammary glands was a fisherman's gaff, it is easy to imagine how this
poor animal may have suffered after an encounter with a fishing boat's
nets.
We will never be absolutely sure if this was
the case in this particular instance, but there is enough circumstantial
evidence here to make us ponder on the harm we are causing to these
beautiful animals by our intensive and destructive fishing methods.
James Barnett
BDMLR Veterinary Director
26th
June
Hi
all,
Further to my brief report, concerning the stranding of a Sowerby's
Beaked Whale at Praa Sands, Cornwall, on the 11th June, here is a
more detailed item from Dave Ball - BDMLR Marazion, Cornwall
Thanks for the report Dave ! .... I've added a couple of pics.
Cheers,
Tony.
Exmouth BDMLR Co-ordinator & News/Info Service.
Sowerby’s
Beaked Whale
I
received a call from Mark Stevens at 8.30am on the morning of 7th
June. There had been a report of a live dolphin stranded at Praa Sands
in West Cornwall. The stranding had been reported to the police who
called Tim Bain of BDMLR St Ives group, so we had no contact details
to verify the stranding. As I live in Marazion it was only a few minutes
later that I found my self at the Hendra end of Praa Sands. There
was a group looking at the whale which was almost 5 metres in length,
because of its size I could tell from a distance it was obviously
not a dolphin. On closer inspection I discovered it was a female sowerby’s
beaked whale and unfortunately it was dead. 
[
Pic : Praa Sands, Cornwall ]
As we work closely with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust on the recording
and reporting of strandings I called Stella Turk to give the correct
identification. She phoned Richard Sabin at the Natural History Museum
in London to inform him of the stranding. He called me back straight
away to confirm the identification. I was still on the beach. He wanted
the whale kept safe for autopsy and would drive down and be with us
that afternoon. Our problem was when high time came at 3.30pm it would
take the whale out to sea.
We had to stop the whale floating out to sea, so instead of BDMLR
medics doing a refloat we had to keep the whale high and dry. Tim
Bain arrived from St Ives and with the help of the Kerrier lifeguards
we managed to anchor the whale. Our aim now was to wait till high
tide and get the whale as high up the beach as possible. We needed
help, so we started to call on the local medics. There is only so
much you can do with a mobile phone we enlisted the aid of Kate and
the staff at BDMLR office and Stella Turk to make the calls and get
us some help. We had about a dozen medics turn out. This was really
great as it wasn’t a live stranding and England were at the
time playing a match in the world cup.
As high tide approached we all managed to refloat the whale over the
sand bar on the beach and move it up the beach to a place of safety.
We had been lucky, there was surf that day at Praa Sands if there
had been we wouldn’t have succeeded.
The vets arrived
around 5.30pm and carried out the autopsy on site. I was impressed
with the professional and dignified way they carried out their work.
Some people question whether we should do autopsies but I have seen
many of the dead cetaceans washed up on Cornish beaches. (over 140
since January 1st) All I can say is that we are learning all the time
and when an autopsy is carried 
out,
it can help us understand this species and give us evidence that will
help save other cetaceans.
[ Pic : Sowerby's
Beaked Whale ]
It was a long
day we left the beach about 9.00pm that evening. I had been on the
beach for twelve hours. All the medics and others who had attended
that day were a little bit sad and also tired but also knew that it
had all gone as planed and it was good to know that BDMLR medics can
respond whatever the situation.
Dave
Ball - BDMLR, Marazion.
[ Cornwall Wildlife
Trust - click
here ]
[ For more info
on this species, take a look at : click
here ]
