Giant whales found dead up & down Pacific NW coast - ENE Archive

Giant whales found dead up & down Pacific NW coast, scientists ‘baffled’ over surge — 25+ carcasses reported in past month — Gov’t: “Troubling… Definitely a pulse of deaths” — Experts: “Alarming spike… Exceptionally rare to see a dead humpback” — Concerns about unidentified pathogen (PHOTOS)

Published: August 13th, 2015 at 3:54 pm ET By ENENews  Email Article 332 comments Tweet

Vancouver Sun, Aug 13, 2015 (emphasis added): Four B.C. whale deaths in a week baffle scientists; Necropsies hope to provide answers as carcasses continue to pop up… four dead humpback whales in B.C. waters in a single week, just as Alaska is experiencing a surge of whale deaths, has scientists searching for a possible connection… 21 humpback and fin whales have been found dead in southeast Alaska during the past month, according to Paul Cottrell, Pacific marine mammal coordinator for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “It’s definitely a pulse of deaths and something that we’re going to keep our eye on,” Cottrell said. No cause has been pinpointed for any of the deaths… “These samples are very important… to see if there’s any relationship — whether there’s a pathogen that may be causing this,” Cottrell said… Media reports have suggested [one]  died after becoming entangled in fishing gear, but Cottrell said it is far too early to come to that conclusion… The scientists also noticed wounds on the whale’s body… “if there’s anthropogenic or human-caused things affecting the recovery, those are things that we want to know about.”

CTV, Aug 12, 2015: … Cottrell said the number of recent discoveries is troubling. “It’s definitely a pulse and it’s something we are concerned about… We’re hoping we don’t get any more.”

Globe & Mail, Aug 12, 2015: A humpback whale that washed up dead on the shore of British Columbia’s northern coast last week was the fourth to die in a week in the province’s coastal waters… a smaller humpback [was found] near Haida Gwaii on Tuesday, and at least two more were reported to be seen floating lifeless in the water within the last seven days… The uptick in reported whale deaths [coincides with] 21 deaths of fin whales and humpback whales in the past two months in [Alaska]… Max Bakken, a field technician for Pacific Wild [is] alarmed at the spike in humpback deaths…

CBC News, Aug 12, 2015: Last Friday Spirit Bear Adventures wildlife guide Philip Charles got a call that a humpback whale was drifting… He set off with a team from Pacific Wild Conservation to Nowish Bay where they found the massive animal washed up dead… “It is exceptionally rare to see a dead humpback whale, especially in this relatively intact state,” said Charles…

Paul Cottrell, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada: “It’s a concern and it’s something that we’re watching… We’re hoping that if there is something out there that’s common, we can find what that is.”

Reuters, Aug 6, 2015: … a humpback whale [was] found dead in Washington state’s Grays Harbor on Monday, [NOAA's Vera Trainer] said.

Cascadia Research Collective, Aug 12, 2015: Last week Cascadia Research, WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, and the Westport Aquarium examined a 46-foot adult female humpback whale that washed ashore… Cause of death could not be determined…

Westport Aquarium, Aug 4, 2015: Yesterday sure was a big day and here’s a big reason. Westport Aquarium staff helped Cascadia Research and WDFW on the necropsy of a 50′ female Humpback whale that stranded near Markham…

More on surge in whale deaths in Alaska — AP: Unprecedented whale deaths along U.S. Pacific coast — Samples “being tested for radionuclides from Fukushima” (PHOTOS & AUDIO)

Last week in Northern California: “Can’t believe it’s happened again” on San Francisco coast — Mysterious whale deaths baffling scientists — Officials: An “inexplicable” trend (VIDEO)

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https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/over-140-whales-found-dead-after-mass-stranding-in-western-australia/70004487