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Young World
Whale of a disaster
WASHED ASHORE: On reserved Indian tribal land. PHOTO: AP
It's the second largest animal on Earth after the Blue whale but its size and feeding habits put it at high risk of being struck by a ship. Scientists who examined a 56-foot whale washed ashore on reserved Indian tribal land in northwest Washington, north of Seattle, found injuries, both external and internal, on the carcass. A post-mortem also found evidence of severe internal bleeding. John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research, who led the examination, told AP that they would take samples that will tell scientists about the animal's condition and about the species. In 2002, three fin whale carcasses were found in Puget Sound — ships had struck all three. Fin whales have fallen prey to modern whaling techniques and their numbers have fallen from "hundreds of thousands" to "tens of thousands" worldwide, so much so that it is now ranked as an endangered species. In the latest case, the Lummi Indians are planning to retain the bones and the baleen or the filters in the mouth that strain the food for these giants. The flesh will be left to decay.
COMPILED BY R. KRITHIKA
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