[ad_1]
DOC / Supplied
Cuvier’s beaked whale was in very poor condition, emaciated and near death, according to a DOC statement.
A distressed calf found in Raglan Harbor was so emaciated that it had to be euthanized.
The Department of Conservation received reports of a dolphin or whale in the port of Whaingaroa on Wednesday morning and it could not be refloated.
Experts identified it as a Cuvier’s beaked whale calf – initially described as newborn, but now believed to be at least a week old.
“These beaked whales are more of an offshore species, so we’re not sure why it was so close to shore and alone,” said DOC Marine Technical Advisor Hannah Hendriks.
READ MORE:
* Whale dies stranded in Moureeses Bay in Northland
* Experts baffled by the behavior of whales
* Raglan people worry about the ‘sick’ sperm whale
There is a chance the mother is in trouble too, so DOC would like people to report anything they see in the area.
Hendriks has been offering help from Wellington, and those at the scene described the whale as close to death.
The DOC worked closely with local hapū Tainui Awhiro and decided to euthanize the whale on Wednesday afternoon.
“We could see that he was extremely emaciated, which means he hadn’t eaten much recently,” Hendriks said.
“For these reasons … and it is likely that he is at an age where he is still dependent on breast milk, and his mother was nowhere to be seen, we decided that euthanasia would unfortunately be the best option.”
Christel Yardley / Stuff
The distressed calf was spotted in Raglan or Whaingaroa Harbor Wednesday morning and was initially thought to be a dolphin.
It’s not uncommon for Cuvier’s beaked whales to perch on the shores of Aotearoa, Hendriks said, but less common for one to be so young.
She identified the species from a photo sent to her around 10 am and noticed fetal folds, “basically indented lines where it folded in the uterus.”
The DOC is now working with the local iwi and Massey University to see if the whale, which is about ten feet long, can be taken for an autopsy, to learn more about why it was so emaciated.
Photos, measurements and a DNA sample will also be taken for inclusion in a database.
There are several species of beaked whales in New Zealand, Hendriks said.
They eat squid and are deep divers.
“We learn a lot from this type of incident where [beaked whales] they wash up on our beaches because they are not seen very often in the sea, “he said.
“They are often covered in scars from cookie cutters and… fights between males. [Adults] it may seem a bit tough. “
Rangers, veterinarians and local tribes were at Whaingaroa harbor with the calf on Wednesday.
It was first thought to be a Maui dolphin stranded in shallow water, a DOC statement said.
People at the scene described him as in a very poor and emaciated condition, and close to death.
Cuvier’s beaked whales are described as diving champions, with one breaking a record for marine mammals in 2014.
Scientists at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography reported that it traveled nearly 3,000 meters below the surface.
Animals can spend hours underwater with a single breath of air.
And there are several examples of them stranded on the shores of Aotearoa.
In 2018, a stranded one was floated but was found dead on a Motueka beach the following week.
A dead Cuvier’s beaked whale appeared off the coast of Porirua in 2014; his body weighed about two tons.
At the time, Ewan Fordyce from the University of Otago said beaked whales were unusual because they had reduced teeth.
“Beaked whales can suck their food without teeth, like we can suck spaghetti.”
Anyone who sees whales or dolphins stranded or killed on the beach should call the DOC hotline immediately: 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
