Whales washed ashore

[Dave Gray]

A sperm whale and a gray whale washed up close to each other at Fort Stephens park south of Astoria. No plans to blow either up at this point…

[Hugh MacD]

Paul Linnman is breathing a sigh of relief

[Breakaway]

Bury em on site

[David G]

Bury em on site

Been tried. Didn't work. I'll be interested to see what they actually decide to do. One of 'em's a 'baby', the other quite large.

[birlinn]

Lotta dog food.

[Dave Gray]

The last I heard, when the sperm whale washed ashore, was that it would be moved to some secluded part of the beach, left to decompose, and the remains buried. I don’t know of a secluded area around there.

[rbgarr]

Bury em on site

There have been two whale strandings here in the past five years. The first was 46' fin whale driven way up during a winter storm on a privately owned island (one house) a hundred yards from a popular wedding venue. Regulations dictated how it was to handled: no towing off to sea, no exploding, if buried it had to be far above the extreme high tide line. Quotes for getting machinery to the island, moving the carcass and burying it were estimated at $50K (the island is mostly granite ledge). The other option was to cut it up and spread lime over the parts to knock down the odor. The later was chosen and it took three years to decompose.

In December another whale (20' this time) washed up during the 'Christmas Eve' storm on another offshore island inhabited by a summer colony of out of state owners. Fortunately it went back out with the tide before it became stranded well ashore. Dodged a bullet.

[John Meachen]

The last I heard, when the sperm whale washed ashore, was that it would be moved to some secluded part of the beach, left to decompose, and the remains buried. I don’t know of a secluded area around there.

It needs to be a really remote spot.Last year I knew of a dead seal washing up on the beach and it stunk for about six weeks.I would expect the duration of this decomposition to be about proportional to the mass involved.Probably not too bad if you are a couple of miles away.

[J.Madison]

It seems whale blubber would burn. No idea what that might smell like though.

[wizbang 13]

Somebody drill a hole in that big guys head and stick a hose and pump in it yet?
That’s some serious dreadlock moisturizer

[Ted Hoppe]

You have to wonder why two whales washed up on the shore in recent days.

toxic water? plastics? Navy running sonar? ship strikes?

What a sad day it will be when we no longer have these giants...

[woodpile]

A sperm whale and a gray whale washed up close to each other at Fort Stephens park south of Astoria. No plans to blow either up at this point…

That's disappointing, the last whale demolition was great.

[Dave Gray]

The sperm whale had a large prop gash that seems a certainty for its demise. Really a sad thing for a twenty ton animal.

[Ted Hoppe]

. that must have really hurt the great animal. considering the brain of the sperm whale is 5 times as large as a humans we can only surmise that it holds a good deal of intelligence and with a life span over 70 years a wisdom too.

I wonder if there is any ambergris remaining inside. It would pay for the disposal.

[AndyG]

Last year I knew of a dead seal washing up on the beach and it stunk for about six weeks.I would expect the duration of this decomposition to be about proportional to the mass involved.

I read this, and the following literally occurred...

Conscious brain: "Surface area/volume ratio. Is the decomposition rate a function of the surface area exposed and not the mere mass..."
Maths brain: "Hello? Anyone listening? The Maths-neurons that struggle with Calculus are wanting a word?"
Conscious brain: "Ok. Put 'em on!"
Maths-neurons-that-struggle-with-Calculus: "Recall that Cambridge maths-entry question that asked "if it takes 10-12 hours to defrost a kilo of turkey, then how long would it take to defrost a 4000kg mammoth?"
Conscious brain: "Oh yes. Great one for prospective students. And the answer?"
Maths-neurons-that-struggle-with-Calculus: "I dunno. Andy, you were too dumb to sit Maths at Cambridge."

Andy, none the wiser

[David G]

The last I heard, when the sperm whale washed ashore, was that it would be moved to some secluded part of the beach, left to decompose, and the remains buried. I don’t know of a secluded area around there.

It's pretty remote as you go North toward the S. Jetty.

[Jim Bow]

A stillborn grey whale was found this morning on the beach at Ft Stevens.

[Breakaway]

Been tried. Didn't work. I'll be interested to see what they actually decide to do. One of 'em's a 'baby', the other quite large.

A-yep.

Looks like they will end up burying it.



The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department planned to move the carcass of the first whale a few miles up the beach, close to the Columbia River jetty, "in order to allow it to decompose naturally while giving birds and animals a chance to get nutrients," Oregon Parks and Recreation Department spokeswoman Stefanie Knowlton said. "Eventually, the carcass will be buried if needed."


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[Breakaway]

Meanwhile this week in

Maryland



Planning to bury it.

New Jersey. 4th Whale to wash up in a month.





Florida



Germane to this thread there is a pending NOAA regulation to limit the speed of all vessels over 65 feet LOA to 10 knots when they are transiting Right Whale migratory paths. Basically that is a big percentage of the US east coast, from Maine to Florida, from inshore, out to maybe 40 miles.

Example of speed restriction areas.







Full Story with more maps:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/natio...c-right-whales


Kevin


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[heimlaga]

Couldn't someone boil down the blubber? Whale oil is a very useful commodity.

[WszystekPoTrochu]

. that must have really hurt the great animal. considering the brain of the sperm whale is 5 times as large as a humans we can only surmise that it holds a good deal of intelligence and with a life span over 70 years a wisdom too.

have a watch:
sperm whales https://youtu.be/Hve8_iSDD-o
killer whales https://youtu.be/GimCcrwYxdE

[wizbang 13]

Couldn't someone boil down the blubber? Whale oil is a very useful commodity.

One can buy it by the bottle here on St Vincent/Grenada .
Rendered blubber is for lamps and custom
beverages.
The real treasure is in the sperm whales head .( post 10)

[George.]

To some extent this is good news. More dead whales are washing up ashore because there are more whales. Some populations have really recovered in the past couple of decades.

[Breakaway]

Couldn't someone boil down the blubber? Whale oil is a very useful commodity.

That might be really trying.



Kevin

[Gary Davis]

A humpback washed ashore near Beaufort NC earlier this winter. I think I read they're going to save the skeleton for educational purposes.

[David G]

To some extent this is good news. More dead whales are washing up ashore because there are more whales. Some populations have really recovered in the past couple of decades.

Yes. Could be a factor. Also more shipping, so more collisions...

[stromborg]

Regulations dictated how it was to handled: no towing off to sea,

That seems like the simplest most ecologically friendly way to deal with a whale carcass. Do you know the rationale behind the "no towing" rule?

[robm]

It would probably wind up drifting back on shore somewhere else. Not to mention being a hazard to shipping.

Maybe they should be "scuttled"? Tow them off the beach, well out to sea, and then blow them to smithereens?

[JayInOz]

This on the news here fifteen minutes ago- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-...osed/101879078 JayInOz

[Breakaway]

Humpback washed up here. Struck by a ship. Buried on site following a necropsy.



Kevin


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