A cruise ship arrived in Vancouver over the weekend with a fin whale attached to its bow. It’s still unclear whether or not the whale was killed by the ship or if it was already dead. There is some evidence that it may have been sick. The image is by Jenelle Schneide. From the Vancouver Sun:

The dead fin whale dragged to shore by a cruise ship had no food in its stomach, indicating it may have been sick, preliminary results from a necropsy reveal, said Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator for the department of fisheries and oceans.

The female whale also had a thin layer of blubber, he said. While a thick layer indicates good health, providing a good layer of insulation and indicating the whale has been foraging, a thin layer doesn’t necessarily suggest bad health, Cottrell said, before explaining the thin layer of blubber may merely be a result of nutrients lost when the whale had been producing calves.

But the middle-aged whale wasn’t likely reproducing anymore at this stage in her life, according to the official.

Cottrell said it’s still unclear if the impact if the ship killed the whale or if it had been dead already. The final necropsy report should be completed within a couple of weeks, he said.

More images showing ship strikes:

The endangered sei whale, identified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, didn’t stand a chance against this 800-foot container ship. According to the Maryland DNR:

The 36-foot, 8 ½ ton male was identified as a sei whale, an endangered species typically found in offshore waters. A team of biologists, led by MD DNR and the Smithsonian Institution, spent much of the day conducting a necropsy, or animal autopsy, on the whale to determine the cause of death. Initially, it wasn’t clear whether the whale was already dead and floating when the ship struck it, or whether the collision killed it. The necropsy revealed numerous broken bones includingcrew performing necropsy ribs, evidence of hemorrhaging, and a blood clot behind the head, suggesting that the animal was alive when struck and died as the result of blunt trauma. NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the case because of the animal’s status as an endangered species, but it is unclear at this point if any charges will be filed by the agency.

The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is particularly vulnerable to ship strikes, since the bulk of the highly endangered population resides in the Northwest Atlantic where vessel traffic is very frequent.

North Atlantic right whales are so rare that the population can’t afford to lose a single individual, especially breeding females. NOAA has been working on new regulations designed to prevent ship strikes. Oddly, former Vice President Dick Cheney interfered with the rule making. From NOAA:

Years of study and effort by NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard will pay off this summer when two changes to shipping lanes into Boston are implemented. Both changes significantly reduce the risk of collisions between large ships and whales.

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Slow moving North Atlantic right whales — among the most endangered whales in the world — are highly vulnerable to ship collisions, since their primary feeding and migration areas overlap with major East Coast shipping lanes. Along with existing measures to prevent entanglement of right whales in fishing gear and regulations to reduce ship strikes by slowing ships, these changes in vessel operations are a part of the comprehensive approach that NOAA has taken in its effort to help right whales recover.

“Through years of study we have determined that these changes will likely provide a safer environment for whales and mariners, and at the same time, provide the least amount of disruption and impact to the economy,” said Jim Balsiger, NOAA’s acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “NOAA and our partners are working extremely hard to do all we can to help save this critically endangered species, while helping mariners stay safe and productive.”

OMB Watch discusses former Vice President Dick Cheney’s shenanigans or obstruction of the ship strike rule:

New evidence shows that the White House is meddling with a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rule to protect the North Atlantic right whale — one of the most critically endangered whale species in the world. The rule has been awaiting clearance — or, more accurately, gathering dust — at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) since February 2007.

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Stalling regulations and putting politics ahead of science is always bad, but they are especially troubling in this instance, as time is of the essence for the right whale. Fewer than 350 of the mammals remain. Since the summer of 2004, seven have died as a result of ship strikes, according to Waxman. Two right whales have been struck by ships, and one has likely died, in the time the rule has been stuck at OIRA. NMFS officials warn that even one more dead female could set the species on an irrevocable path toward extinction.

NMFS experts have been working diligently to extend protections for the right whale but have been stonewalled by political apparatchiks like OIRA Administrator Susan Dudley and Vice President Dick Cheney. The White House’s delay and scientific interference is truly an example of executive power run amok.

Hat tip to Kevin.

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