Cause of whale's death unknownBy Prentiss Findlay (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Monday, August 25, 2008
A necropsy of a pygmy sperm whale that washed ashore Friday at Folly Beach was inconclusive as to the cause of the animal's death, but further lab study is planned, a scientist said Monday. The 10-foot-long, 800-pound whale was "heavily parasitized" and malnourished, said Wayne McFee, a marine biologist with the National Ocean Service. The whale died 24 to 48 hours before a surfer found it at East Arctic Avenue and 6th Street East. Its body temperature was "still fairly warm," he said. Tissue samples have been sent to a veterinary pathology lab. The blubber and liver will be tested for environmental contaminants, McFee said. "We won't have an answer as to the cause (of death) for a month or so," he said. Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier. |
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