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Title: How did a 33ft whale end up in the middle of a field in East Yorkshire?
Source:
Daily Mail
URL Source: [None]
Published: Oct 23, 2011
Author: Daily Mail Reporter
Post Date: 2011-10-23 02:13:43 by A K A Stone
Keywords: None
Views: 3602
Comments: 3
A young whale died after an exceptionally high equinox tide carried it 800 yards from the shoreline to a salt marsh where it then became stranded. The 33ft mammal, thought to be a Sei whale, was discovered in marshes on the north bank of the River Humber near the village of Skeffling. As the tide retreated the whale became stranded before rolling over onto its blowhole, causing it to suffocate. The highest tides of the year occur after the spring and autumn equinox. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has since carried out a post-mortem examination on the mammal with the British Zoological Society. Experts who examined the animal said they are 95 per cent certain it is a female Sei whale and say it could simply have been looking for food when the tide turned. The trust's Kirsten Smith said: 'With the high tide the whale probably got carried up on to the salt marsh, got pushed further in shore and then got stuck when the tide went out. 'The area where the whale was found is salt marsh, which is still connected to the sea. 'The salt marsh is one of several components of the Humber Estuary, and is further in than the mud flats and sand components. 'Sometimes whales come into the shallow water looking for food and get stuck. 'It can be illness or confusion in individual animals, but for it to happen twice in the area, and with reports of another whale nearby now, that could be more than just coincidence.' Andy Gibson, also of the trust, said strandings of Sei whales, such as the one found last Friday, were very rare. He said there had only been three strandings of this species in UK waters in the last 20 years. 'It is sad. It was in shallow water of about 4ft to 5.25ft, making contact with the bottom,' Mr Gibson said. 'This was about 800m offshore. When it gets in that situation it rolls onto its side and it can cover its blow hole.' But Mr Gibson said: 'It is sad but we will be able to learn a lot from it.' The whale is the latest of a number to have died in the Humber estuary area recently. Conservationists believe the increase in the number of strandings could be explained by a change in sea currents bringing colder streams of Arctic water into the North Sea and with them whales that would not normally pass so close to the UK shoreline. Earlier this month, a young Fin whale - a relative of the Sei - was stranded at Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, and subsequently washed up dead near Spurn Point. And another dead whale was spotted in the river mouth in the last few days but has yet to wash ashore. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has noted a rise in whale sightings generally in 2011 but no-one is sure why there may be an increase in the mammals in the North Sea. Over the summer, a pod of up to 10 Minke whales were spotted regularly off the North Yorkshire coast between Whitby and Scarborough. Whale experts admit they do not know why there has been an upsurge in sightings and strandings. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2043105/How-did-Sei-whale-beached-middle-field-East-Yorkshire.html#ixzz1baC8SgAt
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#1. To: A K A Stone (#0)
neap tide Neap tides occur when the sun, moon, and earth form a right angle and the gravitational pull of the sun counteracts the pull of the moon. 9. Why are they called spring and neap tides? Neap means low - so that is an easy one. Spring tides can be confusing because they have nothing to do with the season. It is not exactly known where the word 'spring' comes from in this context but there are two possible origins. One possible source is a Scandinavian word meaning to 'leap up'. Another possibility is that it is related to the natural feature of a spring - which is a place where water wells up from the earth. http://www.pol.ac.uk/home/insight/tidefaq.html This was a spring tide, which has nothing to do with the season by that name as the above quote explains. When I was studying the marine life in tide pools, I went with my class to the Oregon Coast to examine the rocky coastal areas exposed during a neap tide. Too bad about this whale. man, it sure must be starting to stink. That ia a lot of rotting meat.
Too bad since whale meat tastes a lot like beef although with a trace of 'fishiness'. We had a whaling station in my town and as a kid I ate it a few times. They can use it for fertilizer or dog food though. Think of all of Jeff's dogs that Mad Dog could feed with that thing.
When the people are afraid, that's when the greatest long term money is made.~~~~Clark Howard
Maybe because there are more whales to see? Increasing populations result in the animals going further afield to find food due to the increased competition for food in their normal habitats.
"It is impossible to talk reason with those who can only parrot Party Slogans." sneakypete Sept 2011 Stay Hungry...Stay Foolish --Steve Jobs Steve Jobs,life-long Dim,and major Barry Soetoro supporter.
#2. To: Ferret Mike (#1)
Too bad about this whale. man, it sure must be starting to stink. That ia a lot of rotting meat.
#3. To: A K A Stone (#0)
Whale experts admit they do not know why there has been an upsurge in sightings and strandings
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