This morning, January 10th 2014, an unidentified beaked whale washed
ashore in Little Cayman, Cayman Islands. The skin decomposition on its
fluke indicates it was dead for some time before washing ashore. When
scientists were notified, the whale carcass had traveled further down
the shore into an inaccessible area with mangroves, preventing it from
being identified to species.
Photos taken by an island resident of the initial sighting have been
posted to a flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/114014221@N02/
There is a large inflamed area on the lower ventral side of the whale,
visible in the pictures, as well as several scratches and lacerations
that could indicate a vessel strike. Any information on possible cause
of death or species identification would be greatly appreciated.
--
Samantha Hamilton, BSc. MMM.
Reef Research Assistant & Lab Manager
Central Caribbean Marine Institute
P.O. Box 37
Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
KY3-2051
Phone: 1-345-948-1094
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