October 18, 2002

Whale Died From Entanglement

By David Joyner, Gloucester Daily Times staff

A young minke whale found floating in Gloucester Harbor this week died after becoming entangled in lobster gear, according to a necropsy performed yesterday at Niles Beach.

Mason Weinrich, chief scientist and executive director of the Whale Center of New England, said gear-related bruises and signs the whale ate within a half-day of its death led to the conclusion.

The procedure on the animal's carcass found nothing to suggest other causes of death, such as parasites or broken bones.

"We're pretty convinced now the animal died from the entanglement," said Weinrich, who performed the necropsy with staff of the Whale Center in Gloucester, representatives of the New England Aquarium and a state wildlife official.

Where the whale became entangled is still uncertain, Weinrich said. The carcass was discovered Tuesday in an area popular among lobstermen, between Ten Pound Island and Eastern Point.

The whale was likely tangled within several miles of where it was discovered, he said. "Whether it was inside the harbor or outside the harbor, it's really hard to say."

The National Marine Fisheries Service is still tracing gear found with the whale in hopes of narrowing the search.

The minke whale was a 17-foot female and was two to three years old. According to most estimates, minke whales typically live for about 30 years.

Members of the Eastern Point Yacht Club staff found the whale Tuesday afternoon. They called Weinrich and helped land the carcass on Niles Beach. A necropsy was delayed until yesterday because of Wednesday's storms.

Weinrich said the four-hour procedure drew about 15 people, including naturalists from whale watch companies and passersby.

"The animal inside was in reasonably good shape," he said, "which allowed us to be able to look fairly carefully at it."

Their discoveries included recently eaten fish in the whale's stomach and esophagus.

"Can we say for sure the animal was feeding at the time it became entangled? No," Weinrich said. "But I think we can say for sure the animal was feeding within half a day of the time it became entangled."

Formally called balaenoptera acutorostrata, minke whales are one of the world's most abundant species of large whales. They are baleen whales, which means they eat by filtering fish and organisms from water forced through bristles that line their gums.

Weinrich said fishing gear entanglements of whales are a conservation concern, especially among endangered humpbacks and right whales.

But less is known about minke whale entanglements, partially because they are too small to carry gear for great distances and may die at sea before they are discovered.

Entanglements also may be considered less of an issue for minke whales, he added, because they are not considered endangered.

"It's still something that you feel awful for the whales it happens to." he said.

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