Toothed whales

JuliusCaesar

There was a couple of recent TV programmes about whales (dead, beached, dissections). One was entirely about dissecting a sperm whale, which was fascinating. Included details on how the 'sperm' oil solidifies at cooler temperatures which makes it sink/rise in water, aiding the dive/rise of the whale; how they make their 'clicky' echolocation noises.

The other (I think) was Monty Hall in Connemara, where he went diving on a mussel farm in Killary Fjord, and also did some whale/shark photography for the Irish Whale and Dolphin group.

I hadn't given any thought before to what happens to the bodies of dead beached whales, nor the difficulties of dissecting such an enormous creature - even just the weight of the organs, or the difficulty of sawing through the hide.

Adam Khor

You know, the weirdest thing about dead whales is that sometimes, they explode...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4096586/ns/us_news-environment/t/thar-she-blows-dead-whale-explodes/

Mr. Boo

Monty was on again this evening; tagging, photographing, and taking slime samples from basking sharks off Malin head. It should be on for the next few thursdays at 8pm on BBC2. As he was working with the IWDG I'd imagine there will be more strandings along with the cool underwater filming.

Sid_Justice

I saw both of those programmes, were both excellent.

JuliusCaesar

Adam Khor wrote: »

You know, the weirdest thing about dead whales is that sometimes, they explode...

I wonder do they explode if they die underwater? Or would the corpse be nibbled at quick enough to release the gases? Or would the gases not build up under the pressure of the deep? (My musings are wandering dangerously into AH territory....:p)

steddyeddy

A sperm whale beached itself in Dungarvin today unfortunately. See link here

Sid_Justice

http://videos0.ordienetworks.com/videos/184beda5dc/iphone_wifi.mp4