1997,
November 7. Southern Ocean. Midway between the South Island of New Zealand and
Antarctica. Large Airburst. Time 07:46, (-57.3, 167.2). e =
8=, -e = 1.2 or an equivalent blast force of 1,900,000 kg/TNT.
1998, February 3 to 28.
Tasmania. 115 Cachalots (97 female, 15 male, 3 unknown sex) were
involved in three mass stranding events along the west and northwest
coastlines. It should be noted that during (Stranding 1) thirty
whales were seen offshore but never stranded.
Ocean Beach, Strahan
(Stranding 1) On the evening of 3 February 1998, several cachalots
were reported ashore on Ocean Beach near Strahan (42"18'S,
145'16'E). By the morning of 4 February, 66 animals had stranded, 12
of which were still alive. A rescue operation towed two animals (one
male, one of unknown sex) offshore by midday, at which time two
females and two males remained alive. By 0700 on 5 February, only one
female and one male were alive. The female was euthanized and the
male was refloated and towed offshore at 1630.
Greens Beach, Marrawah
(Stranding 2)
At 0700 on 19 February
1998, local residents reported a group of cachalots in a tightly
grouped formation off Greens Beach, Marrawah (40°55'S, 144'39'E).
Shortly after 1000, they began to strand. By 0700 on 20 February only
five of the 35 whales ashore were alive, with rough seas inhibiting
any chance of rescue. At 1300 one male and one female were alive. By
0900 on 21 February, the female had died and at 11:00 the male was
euthanized.
Black River Beach,
Stanley (Stranding 3)
At 1000 on 28 February
1998, 11 Cachalots were reported ashore at Black River Beach, Stanley
(40'50’S, 145’17’E). At 1230, 10 females were found deceased
and one male alive. At 0400 on 1 March the male sperm whale was towed
offshore, but later re-stranded at Edgecumbe Beach (40’52’S,
145’25’E), 10 km east at 1600. This animal was positively
identified from Black River Beach by the presence of a lower jaw
deformity. At 0230 on 2 March, the whale was towed offshore again and
was followed for approximately 14 km, after which it was observed to
swim away.
Therefore, 66 of these
cachalots were stranded at Ocean Beach, Strahan; 35 at Greens Beach,
Marrawah; and 11 at Black River Beach, Stanley. The remaining whales
stranded singly along the coastline. Three mass strandings of this
species in such close temporal proximity have not been reported in
this area before, and this is the first time that data have been
comprehensively collected from complete or near‐complete groups of
sperm whales from Tasmanian waters. Adult females dominated the three
stranding groups. Total lengths ranged from 417 to 1,200 cm and ages
ranged from 0.75 to 64 years. Four females were lactating, and four
fetuses were found among the groups. Stomach contents were dominated
by pelagic cephalopods.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.%20Advanced%20state%20of%20decomposition%20and%20will%20be%20permantly%20left%20there.%20The%20state%20Department%20of%20Land%20and%20Natural%20Resources%20is%20inv.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.%20First%20recorded%20instance%20of%20this%20species%20in%20Cambodian%20waters%20after%20it%20was%20caught%20and%20killed%20in%20a%20fishing%20net..png)
.png)
.png)
.png)