On April 1st, 2011 we received a report of a lone dolphin swimming in an unusual manner near a dock in Morgan creek between Beaufort and Morehead city. The caller was concerned that it might be in trouble. We arrived to an unusual sight. From a distance it has a dolphin -like appearance, but it’s logging” at the surface with infrequent dives was behavior more like that of a pygmy or dwarf sperm whale. We went back to our Gallants channel docks and returned in our trusty boat Spyhop to get a better look with Keith, Nan, Vicky and Brooks on board. It was indeed a dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima). This pelagic (open ocean) species occasionally strands on our NC beaches but it is very unusual to see a live one swimming in the estuary or even close to shore. A local resident who was fishing nearby told us it had been there for several days.

Stranding network staff and volunteers from NC Division of Marine fisheries, the NC Maritime Museum, and NC State University CMAST monitored the whale’s position and behavior throughout the day and following morning. On Saturday April 2nd, the whale was seen at 4:30 am but then was not seen again until it was sighted dead in adjacent marshes around noon. It was a 7′ (218 cm) long male and weighed 322 pounds (146 kg). We froze the Kogia sima carcass for future necropsy and study.

See the entry from April 5, 2011 to read about the whale that this fin comes from

When the the Gervais’ beaked whale stranded back in February, we were excited to be able to weight the whale on the beach. With subsequent skull dissection in the lab it was learned that this whale’s brain weight, or mass, to body weight, or mass, was approximately 0.25%.    
Below are some comparative values of brain mass to body mass percentages from  other species:


beaked whale – 0.25%

Karen Hattman is selected by Keith Rittmaster as Volunteer of the Year for 2010. 

she 

During the week of March 7^th, 2011, a 27′ male humpback whale was seen swimming then later, stranded in Core Sound.  It had 8 propeller cuts, some long and deep, forward of the dorsal fin.  By Friday it had been aground for at least 2 days, weakened with entanglement scars, scavenger damage (shark and birds), curved spine, abraded skin, anemic, leaning in a hole it had wallowed out in the sand, and still alive – a sad sight.  A team that included staff and volunteers from NC State Univ. Center for Marine and Sciences Technology, UNC-Wilmington, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, NC Maritime Museum, Cape Lookout National Seashore, and Tow Boat/US euthanized the whale and performed a necropsy.  In addition to the team’s collection of measurements and tissue samples, Keith brought back the left pectoral flipper for research, education, and display.  This investigation will enhance our knowledge of large whale anatomy and physiology.  The flipper measures 9′ long and 25″ at its widest point, and weighs ~260 pounds.  The short term goal is to get radiology, CT scan, and MRI images of this fin.  Long term, he plans to prepare the bones and eventually create a display with the images and bones.  Despite the sad nature of this event, each live marine mammal stranding offers a rare opportunity for scientists and veterinarians to learn more about these fascinating creatures. The information gained can be used to minimize suffering in live stranded cetaceans and contribute to marine mammal conservation.
Here’s a bit of media coverage about the whale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWNlAoK2FIg

Look at the entry for April 15, 2011 to see what we are doing with one of the flippers of this whale.